This I Think

Thoughts on Writing:

“Just because you’re unhappy doesn’t mean you can’t laugh at funny things and marvel at beautiful things and enjoy happy moments. You can still do happy things even if you are unhappy.” – Anonymous

I can relate to this quote on so many different levels. At first glance, it’s seems like a very simple saying but it is so eloquently written that many people can find meaning in it. This quote, for me, is not connected to one single memory or a specific part of my life, but mostly to life as a whole. I bet just like you, I have had many hardships to overcome, and many days where I feel as if nothing else can go wrong. Well for me, the words in this quote make me feel better; they give me that feeling that everything is going to be okay. I believe in these words because I know that life is never going to be completely perfect but you have to make the best of what you have. You can’t always look at things in a negative light, you have to think positively. Even if everything isn’t happy or blissful, that doesn’t mean you have to look at the rest of the world that way, because if you do then you will probably never get anywhere. What is life if you can’t sit back and enjoy the little moments?

Although I can relate to these words emotionally, on a more literary note there are many techniques being used. One of the first things I noticed was the repetition of the word “things.” In my opinion, the author uses this word very casually to emphasize his meaning and draw attention to the fact that it is so simple to be happy. By repeating a word that has a very broad connotation, it leaves the interpretation of the quote up to the reader. That’s why so many people can relate to it. Also, parallelism is very distinct in the constant use of the words “happy” and “unhappy.” This scheme, along with the juxtaposition of opposite words such as “unhappy, “laugh” and “funny,” is used plainly to compare and contrast. I think the author is trying to point out that two completely opposite meanings can create different feelings, and that it is very simple to change from one to the other. Along those same lines, polysyndeton is used with the repetition of the word “and” to point out that there are so many things to be happy for. By using the word “and” over and over again, the author makes it seem as there are endless reasons. Even though the techniques used are all very similar, the use of all of them makes the message even louder.

I hope that everyone takes from this quote what I do, and that is to just not take things so seriously. Even though on the surface, yeah this is a pretty quote, I’m actually kind of glad that I looked at it through a literary point of view. I never knew that there were so many ways to look at a simple piece of writing. Long story short, this quote says to me that if you choose to be unhappy, then you will live an unhappy life.