Doing Violence to Language

Here are the words today, from Madeleine L'Engle's A Circle of Quiet:

If language is to be revived, like the phoenix, born of its own ashes, then violence must be done to it. . . . It means speaking to each other, destroying platitudes and jargon and all the safe cushions of small talk with which we insulate ourselves; not being afraid to talk about the things we don't talk about, the ultimate things that really matter.

It means turning again to words that affirm meaning, reason, unity, that teach responsible rather than selfish love. And sometimes, doing violence to language means not using it at all, not being afraid of being silent together, of being silent alone. Then, through the thunderous silence, we may be able to hear a still, small voice, and words will be born anew.

Caesura. The pause between.