In every language, the medium of writing differs from spoken word. As a result, written language has its own set of rules and flow. In fact, when people write exactly as they speak, it tends to read in an awkward and confusing manner. Prior to written language, people had to rely on spoken work to communicate with others. However, when written language appeared in ancient cultures, it allowed them to have another platform to communicate with each other.
Before written language became a well established form of communication, some ancient cultures had to rely on oral tradition to preserve stories, events, and records. In order to be passed down through the generations, people would memorize the details of a story and then retell it with their own spin. Therefore, the tale differed from each storyteller and the author's original vision was often lost. One of my previous clusters, World Literature, also discussed the epic poems of Homer, such as The Odyssey. According to Communication in History, "the epic poems of Homer provide a unique opportunity to compare the oral and the written forms of language" (Crowley 44). When reading and writing became prevalent, extreme memorization was no longer necessary and the author's original story could be shared with the public. It also shows how the written and oral version varies in each form.
Works
Cited
Crowley,
David, and Paul Heyer. Communication
in History: Technology, Culture, Society.
Boston: Ally & Bacon, 2011. Print.
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