Essay on “The Pen is Mightier than the Sword” Complete Essay for Class 10, Class 12 and Graduation and other classes.

The Pen is Mightier than the Sword

5 Best Essay on “The Pen is Mightier than the Sword”

Essay No. 01

“If I get the sword, I shall kill thee, Oh my mighty master! But if thou gives me a mighty pen, mightier than the sword of Alexander, I shall keep thy name immortally fresh” thus said Bismarck to his teacher Father Roader.

The controversy of whether the sword is mightier than the pen or it is the pen that can overwhelm the sword has been decided straight through. Now it has been established universally that the power and significance of the pen are much more than that of the sword. With the exception of certain foolish people, there is none in the modern world who would advocate the supremacy of the sword over the pen. Of course, in the good old days, when might was right, people did prefer the power of the word to that of the pen.

The history of mankind bears written to the fact the power of the word, in the long run, fades into insignificance. Great and mighty conquerors like Alexander, Caesar, Nero, Timur, Babar, and many others could not retain the short-lived glory, which their conquests had given them. Of course, so long as they lived, they did maintain their fame but after their deaths, they were regarded as murderers and blood spillers of the common people for their personal gratification. Even to this day, they are condemned as enemies of peace. On the other hand the great heroes of the pen. Homer Shakespeare, Milton, Firdausi, Tagore to name a few, who gave new enlightenment to the world are remembered with adoration and respect. The great intellectual conquests, attained by these mighty heroes of the pen, can never dwindle into insignificance. In an age where violence is being abhorred peaceful coexistence is the new mantra, the pen will always be mightier than the sword.

Essay No. 02

The Pen is Mightier than the Sword

Outline: Physical force seems to be more important than literature at first sight – but, really speaking, the pen is mightier than the sword – several wars and revolutions have been caused by books – novels and plays have brought about social reforms – while the British empire is no more, Shakespeare survives.

The truth of this proverb may not be realized at first sight. Wars, revolutions, and conquest of one cot ‘Wry by another loom large in the history of the world. While a dictator or a commander of an army strut about in the limelight, a poet or a novelist, shut up in his humble study, seems to be a neglected figure.

Yet, on closer reflection, it will be found that the written word is more powerful than physical force. Ideas expressed in words can reach millions of hearts and move them .to action. Shelley has said that poets are the unacknowledged legislators of mankind.

The changes brought about by military strength, though sudden and spectacular, are short-lived; the changes effected by literature, though slow and imperceptible, are lasting.

It will be noticed that several revolutions and wars themselves have been the result of certain books and pamphlets. The writings of Rousseau and Voltaire kindled the flame of the French Revolution, while Karl Marx’s ‘Das Capital’ paved the way for the Russian Revolution. An important force behind our struggle for independence was our study of English literature which instilled into our minds a love of freedom and democracy.

Some books have so powerfully attacked certain social evils that governments have been compelled to abolish them. The novels of Dickens and H. C. Wells and the plays of Bernard Shaw were responsible for several social reforms. For example, Shaw’s exposure to the evils of private practice in medicine in The Doctor’s Dilemma led to the nationalization of the medical profession in England. Another example of the power of the pen is the influence of newspapers in democratic countries. Long ago, Burke described the Press as the fourth estate. Governments, though supported by the army and the police, have to be afraid of public opinion, and public opinion is largely shaped by newspapers.

Empires founded on military strength have disappeared, while masterpieces of literature like the plays of Kalidasa and Shakespeare survive. Carlyle said that, if he were to choose between Shakespeare and the Indian Empire, he would prefer Shakespeare. He was right, for the Indian Empire, the accomplishment of the sword, has vanished, while Shakespeare’s plays, the products of the pen, have stood the test of time.

Essay No. 03

The Pen is Mightier Than The Sword

The pen here stands for the power of writing and the sword for brute force. There was a time when brute force was used to conquer anything. Nothing could stand before the power of the sword. The result was death and destruction. The people were terrified. There were scenes of murder and bloodshed. The power of the sword struck panic in the hearts of the people. Might be considered right. However, times have now undergone a drastic change. While the introduction of the pen, the power of the sword has ceased to be dominant. Many people have taken to writing. As a result, many books have been written. These books have changed the lives of men. They have a soothing effect on the minds of men. Today a writer can arouse the whole nation with his pen to revolt. His writings work more quickly. Pen also acts as a peacemaker. Sword may spread horror and cause has but the pen can at once put an end to its movements. The peace treaty is signed not by the sword but by my pen. The victories won by the pen are more lasting than those of the sword. People like Shakespeare and Kalidas more than Hitler and Napoleon. Thus the pen is mightier than the sword.

Essay No. 04

The Pen is mightier than the Sword

A person in the past lived on the strength of his muscle power. In the struggle for existence, it was the survival of the fittest. Gradually, man became civilized and he progressed in various fields. The destinies of nations have been shaped by wars. Later on, the man realized that the use of weapons could not solve problems. Weapons could kill a man but could not change his opinions.

Ideas overpower violence. Force is not able to change the ideas and beliefs of the people. When people are influenced by new ideas, changes occur in society. Ideas are propagated by writing. Brave deeds and velour on the battlefield are recalled time and again. But no clash of arms could achieve what great men through their writing have achieved.

The invention of the written word has helped ‘man to store and propagate his thoughts, beliefs, and ideas. After the development of the printing press by Johanns Guttenberg, the written word became the most powerful medium of propagating the same. The newspaper has now become a mighty weapon. The pen has been able to rouse the people and stimulate them against injustice.

Ideas are elaborately expressed through the power of the pen. The written word makes a permanent impact on generations. It molds life according to the times. Violence can only suppress the voice of the people. The sword can force them into submission but cannot propagate an idea.

The victories of the sword are short-lived. Alexander’s wish to conquer the world but his desire remained unfulfilled. Hitler overran Europe but was defeated in the Second World War. Great wars only find a place in history books while good literature survives the test of time. The teachings of the `Gita’, the ‘Bible’, the ‘Quran’, the plays. of Shakespeare, the poetry of Keats and Wordsworth, still appeal to the people. Their works will remain immortalized.

The sword implies the use of brute force while the pen depends on reason and thought. The pen stands for positive and constructive efforts, but the sword stands for destruction. The pen can solve many complex problems through peaceful means.

Few writers write sheer nonsense. Such writings should be discouraged. A writer who records his noblest thoughts is a teacher of humanity. The pen has a stronger influence than the sword. The written word can change the life of a person. It can have the power to influence generations. The pen is indeed mightier than the sword. It is the power of the pen that has shaped human history.

Essay No. 05

Pen Is Mightier Than The Sword

Pen stands for expression, for literature, for what comes out of a writer’s pen. And it is true that literature or writing wields far more power than arms can ever wield, Battles are fought over a certain period of time and within a particular area. They certainly affect and influence events but in a limited way. The effect of the pen or literature is wide. Sometimes it is universal. The messages of Buddha, Christ, Confucius, Gandhi, and Marx are universal in their appeal. They are valid for all times and for all climes. The sword has a physical effect; it hardly affects the mind and the spirit, while the pen affects the mind, intellect, and spirit. The latter can shape the minds, hearts, and spirits of people in the desired way if only the wielder has the mastery of its use in the required measure.

The pen is a source of power and inspiration for all times and for people from all walks of life. The fact of the superiority of the pen over the sword should not lead us to believe that the sword has no value. Arms have changed history. Sometimes only force brings about results. When everything fails, when persuasion negotiations etc. fail, the use of arms is left as the only alternative; Ram had ultimately to use force to teach Ravan a lesson. Arms were used to ensure the victory of the forces of good over the forces of evil. If the great war of Mahabharat had not been fought, the forces of evil which the Kauravas represented would have continued to plague the kingdom, and the rule of justice and righteousness could never have been established. Lord Krishna, therefore, induced Arjuna to fight a violent war to destroy the forces of evil and rehabilitate the rule of the right.

There is might in the sword, nobody can gainsay this, but there is more might in the pen. The American Revolution of 1776 was the product of the writings of a host of political philosophers and statesmen. The very slogan of liberty, equality, and pursuit of happiness rose in their writings by the American revolutionaries, and almost the identical slogan liberty, equality, and fraternity raised in the writings of French revolutionaries not only did much to change the history of these two countries but also revolutionized the very thought and outlook of the people about the role of the state. It is a matter of common knowledge for a student of History that, what Benjamin Franklin, Hamilton, and Thomas Jefferson in America and Rousseau, Voltaire, and Montesquieu in France, could do by their writings could never have been achieved by a Robespierre, a Napoleon, or a Hitler. True that the Russian Revolution was an outburst of the centuries-old people’s grievances, but the background for it had been prepared by the writings of a host of creative writers as well as statesmen like Trotsky and Lenin.

An erroneous view is held by some people that the sword is mightier than the pen. They actually do not understand the meaning of pen. When comparing with the sword they have in mind only some object six inches long with which one can write. This object of six inches in length and about one inch in thickness compares ridiculously in power with the one or two feet long sword with sharp edges, the very sight of which sends shudders of fear down the spine.

What Gandhi could achieve by the use of his pen could never be achieved by thousands of strong emperors ruling by the force of their

The writings of a host of patriotic writers and men of literature contributed very significantly to the burning of the fire of patriotic zeal in the hearts of the multitudes of people and inspiring them to sacrifice their lives for the sake of freedom. V. D. Savarkar’s ‘Indian war of Independence’, Lala Lajpatrai’s ‘Unhappy India’, the fiery messages of Swami Vivekanand exercised much greater power than the actual exploits of these great men. The whole democratic and communistic thought which issued from the minds of a host of individuals and liberal writers has done more in democratizing and socializing our attitudes.

An important role in preserving human civilization from the onslaught of barbarism can be played by the strength of a pen only. A writer can make the whole world see things in their true light and facts of life. They can really make the world aware of the tragic horrors of wars, racial wars, and ideological wars of all types. It is only false propaganda that causes the spread of violence. Only a writer can conquer such a lie. Writers can move the soul and touch the hearts of the affected people in great depth. The writings can serve as a powerful and swift force waging a relentless struggle for the dignity and glory of the human soul.

It is the strength of the pen only, which can stress the similarity rather than the differences between people living in distant places. A writer can create a better understanding of each other’s problems and thus lessen strife and conflicts. All types of wars and battles emerge from misunderstandings that can be resolved by a powerful instrument of the writer’s pen. The concept of ‘One world’ becomes real and effective only through the words of a writer.