I Believe that Books Will Never Disappear -Interview with Jorge Luis Borges
I Believe That Books Will Never Disappear Summary:
I Believe That Books Will Never Disappear. This is an
excerpt from Twenty-four Conversations with Borges by Roberto Alifano. We get views of Borges about his reading, his
mother, his blindness idea of poetry, Metaphors, books and literature. The
interviewer asks the writer many questions about poetry, books and literature
to which the answer with great thought-provoking ideas Borges reveals that his
early literary reading took place in his father's library. Regarding his
feelings towards his mother, he says that he feels very guilty for not having
made his mother sufficiently happy, and for taking her for granted. He feels he
should have been more understanding.
When asked about his blindness, he
says that he is not unhappy about it because he takes it as a resource. In his
opinion all that happens to us, including humiliations, our misfortunes, our
embarrassments, all are given to us as raw material as clay, so that we may
shape our art. We may give them different shape. His vision left him but
fortunately it was replaced by other things. He mentions that in spite of being
blind, he fills his house with books and pretends that he is not blind. The
interviewer asks him about books and he replies that every book goes beyond its
author's intention.
When we read an
ancient book, we are actually reading all time that has passed from the day it
was written to our present day. He maintains that no matter how many errors the
book has, whether we accept or reject the author's opinions, the book always
retains something sacred, mortal and magical and brings happiness.
When asked about poetry, Borges says
that it cannot be defined without oversimplifying it because it is so intimate
and essential Poetry is the poetic act that takes place and the poet writes it,
when the reader reads it, and it always happy in a slightly different manner.
He says that poetry is a magical, mysterious and Unexplainable — though not
incomprehensible - event. If one doesn't feel the poetic event upon reading it,
the poet has failed.
Regarding books he maintains that
they will never disappear because unlike the other inventions that are
extensions of our bodies, the book is an extension of our imagination and
memory. About literature, he says that we owe literature almost everything we
are and what we have been, also. What we will be. Books are the great memory of
all centuries. If books disappear, surely history would disappear, and surely
man would disappear.
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| Jorge Luis Borges |
I Believe That Books Will Never Disappear notes
Comprehension 1
1. I was educated by my father's
library says Borges. He means_____
a. school or
the university did not educate him.
b. he
educated himself by reading on his own.
c. he learnt
through private tuitions held in his father’s library.
Answer.
(b) he educated himself by reading on own
2. Why did Borges feel guilty about
his mother?
Answer. Because he did not keep her happy peaceful he did not make
her comfortable.
3. According
to the author, blindness is
a. just a
physical handicap
b. not a
liability
c. actually
a resource
Answer. (c) Actually a resource
4. What according to Borges is the
ultimate function of writing?
Answer. It is to give a different shape to all
humiliation, misfortune and discord so that from miserable circumstance of the
writer's life eternal works are created.
5. Why does Borges prefer to believe
that he is not blind?
Answer: Because, though the visible world has moved away from his
eyes, fortunately it has been replaced by other things. He feels it his duty to
accept and, as far as possible, to enjoy those things.
6. Borges feels, that when we read a
book what matters is not the author's intention, but what sense we get out of
it.
Answer. True.
7. When does the poetic act happen,
according to Borges?
Answer. Borges
says that the poetic act happens when the poet writes it, and when the it
always happens in a slightly different manner.
8. What cannot be defined without
oversimplifying it?
Answer. Poetry be cannot be defined.
9. Which is the most astounding
invention of man?
Answer. The book is the most astounding
invention of man because, while others are extensions of our bodies, only the
book is an extension of our imagination and memory.
Read: To The Foot from Its Child
Comprehension II
1. What is the observation of Borges
about his mother? Is it a common experience of everyone?
Answer. Borges feels that his mother was an
extraordinary person, and she was very kind towards him. Yet he feels guilty
for not having been a happy man in order to have given her a deserved
happiness. He thinks he should have been more understanding and not taken her
for granted. He says this is true of all children that when our mother dies, we
feel that we have taken her for granted as we do with the moon or the sun or
the seasons: we feel we have abused her. This is surely a common experience of
many children. His mother was an intelligent and a gracious woman. She had no
enemies.
2. What, in your opinion, does Borges
learn from Goethe's saying all that is near becomes far'?
Answer. It refers to the sunset and also to life. He feels that all
that he could see have been replaced by knowledge given by books bringing in
far insights. He feels that he has been able reach things which are far and
wide in this universe.
3. Can humiliation and misfortune be
transmuted?
Answer. According to Borges, yes, they can be transmuted to create eternal works
of art and literature. We should look at things with different perspective.
4. In what way do you think poetry is
an aesthetic act?
Answer. Poetry is aesthetic act because it involves description of life, beauty,
precise words expression and feelings.
5. Why is it important for poetry to
use language precisely? What example does Borges
demonstrate this aspect of poetic language?
Answer. Borges says that it is the precise
words that elicit the emotion. He
quotes Emily Dickinson's line: “This
quiet dust was gentlemen and ladies". He says though the idea of 'dust'
meaning ‘the dust of death’ is common, what surprises is the use of the phrase 'gentlemen
and ladies which gives the magic and poetic quality. Just the phrase ‘men and
women' would not been equally remarkable.
6. Why does Borges say that the books
will not disappear in spite of modern modes of communication?
Answer. Borges believes that books will never
disappear because among the many inventions of man, the book is the most
outstanding because, while others, like the telephone, telescope and
microscope. The sword and the plough are extensions of our bodies, only is an
extension of our imagination and memory. It is record of our dreams and our
past history. So nothing can replace them.
I Believe That Books Will Never Disappear
Comprehension 3
1.'A book goes beyond its author's
intention.' Do you agree?
Answer. Borges says that the author's
intention behind book is a meager thing -a fallible thing. In a book, there is a
need for something more, which is always mysterious. When we read an ancient
book, it is as though we were reading all time that has passed from the day it
was written to our present day. A book can be full of errors, we can reject its
author's opinions, disagree with him or her, but the book always retains
something sacred, something mortal, something magical which brings happiness. This
opinion is certainly correct because any book encompasses more meaning than the
writer intended. Besides, it depends on the reader to extract the meaning the
author desired.
2. 'Poetry is magical, mysterious and
unexplainable'. How does Borges explain the strange aspect of poetry?
Answer. Borges believes that poetry is something so intimate, so
essential, that it cannot be defined without oversimplifying it. It would be
like attempting to define the color yellow, love and the fall of leaves in the
autumn. He believes that poetry is the aesthetic act: that poetry is not the
poem, for the poem may be nothing more than a series of symbols. Poetry, he
believes, is the poetic act that takes place when the poet writes it, when the
reader reads it, and it always happens in a slightly different manner. He feels
that when the poetic act takes place, we become aware of it. He says that
poetry is a magical, mysterious and unexplainable although not incomprehensible-event,
if one does not feel the poetic event upon reading it, the poet has failed.
3. What value does Borges see in
literature? Why is important for the future of mankind?
Answer. Borges says that literature is a
controlled dream we are able to get the knowledge of past future and live in
the present. He thinks that we owe literature almost everything. Books are the
great memories of all centuries so they are irreplaceable. If books disappear,
surely history would disappear, and surely man would disappear. We have to
protect our culture and literature.
Read:Heaven, If You Are Not Here On Earth
Vocabulary
Word Pairs:
Nonreversible word pairs always
appear in same order, e.g., back and forth. It would sound awkward if we read
forth and back. The following is a list of some common word pairs.
1. Trial and
Error 11. Forgive
and Forget
2. Pride and
Prejudice 12.
Pros and Cons
3. Null and
Void 13. Body and Soul
4. Flora and
Fauna 14. Flesh and Blood
5. Whims and
Fancies 15. Hale and Hearty
6. High and
Dry 16. Hue And Cry
7. Time and
Again 17. Black and white
8.'Pick and
Choose 18. Virtue and
voice
9. Time and
Tide 19. Leaps and
bounds
10. Tooth and
Nail 20. Part and parcel
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