On The Write Track

In spite of the onslaught of computers and related tools, the humble pencil has managed to hold its own. Preeti Kulkarni explains why it is so difficult to write it off

Joyce A Myers, the well known new age American artist once said, “A pencil and a dream can take you anywhere.” How true indeed! That is the power of a pencil. It lets your imagination run wild and thus, is born a dream. The simple pencil has given shape to countless modern architectural wonders and engineering marvels. A survey conducted by the Forbes magazine last year rated pencil as “the fourth most important tool at all time, in terms of its impact on human civilization.”

A Historical Sketch

It was invented after a huge chunk of graphite deposit was discovered near Cumbria, England in 1565. The shepherds in the area sawed the substance into thin sticks for marking their sheep. It was wrongly assumed to be lead ore and was called plumbago (Latin for ‘acts like lead’ ); hence, the term ‘lead’ pencils. Although Carl Wilhelm Scheele, a Swedish chemist, later proved that the substance was not lead and named it Graphite (Greek word for ‘writing’), the black core of the pencil is still referred to as ‘lead’. The word ‘pencil’ comes from the latin word Penicillus meaning ‘little tail’ Today, pencils are available in all shapes, sizes and for various purpose – we have colour pencils, pencils with attached erasers, mechanical pencils and so on. Like elsewhere in the world, the humble pencil is an indispensable writing tool in India. After pens, pencils are the biggest contributors to the Indian stationery sector.

Its Relevance Today

We have well-developed word processors to type our letters and other document. We have highly advanced software for drawing. Besides ensuring precision, these tools also get the work done faster. Why do we need the petty pencil, you’d ask. Try asking this to a child’s parents and they’ll tell you the vital role it has played in shaping his/her life. Pose this question to the artists, engineers, architects, fashion designers and they’ll vouch for the immense utility value of the modest pencil. Even in the present computer age, they are produced and used by thousands of crores of people every year. Pencils act as our anchors into the world of words, diagrams and graphs. It is said that the best way to gain wisdom is to make mistakes and learn from them. As the pencil marks can be easily erased, it gives us the confidence to go ahead and scribble what we feel like. Therefore, pencils are our perfect companions on our pursuit of knowledge. The pencil has helped the engineers and architects realize their vision of splendid buildings and bridges. Similarly, its contribution to the art and fashion industry is invaluable. Though the designing software and other tools have diluted its importance, the pencils continues to hold sway thanks to its simplicity and cost – effectiveness.

 

Finally, it would not be an exaggeration to say that while the pencil marks on paper can be effaced effortlessly, the pencil’s imprint on our life is indelible.