THE SOUNDS OF SILENCE
The phrase ‘The Sounds of Silence’ is a contradiction in terms similar in many respects to ‘a quiet cacophony’. Theoretically, the word ‘silence’ is associated with a condition almost completely devoid of sound. For me the charming phrase conjures up many words and images of stillness, peace, hush and calm. There is no one word that can encapsulate the phrase that served as a title of a melancholy melody created and made popular by the musicians, Simon and Garfunkle during the 60’s. My mother plays it often.
Speaking as a big city girl, if I had to find an appropriate antonym to this magic phrase, I would best describe it as ‘the hustle and bustle’. To experience the sounds of silence I would imagine myself sitting on our veranda after the frenetic activities of dinner when everyone is winding down after a busy day. As I listen to the escalating chirping of the crickets, I hear the vague tinkering of my mother somewhere in the house accompanied by the occasional muffled sound of folding paper as my father reads the Business Times.
