A Brisk Strike on the Wordsmith’s Anvil.

Like a blacksmith’s anvil, the wordsmith’s anvil is a place of action, a place to work. The wordsmith’s anvil requires that we put forth significant intellectual sweat, that we hammer away at our work, that we build our linguistic stamina. It is also the case that the wordsmith’s anvil is not just where our work is formed; it is where we, as writers, are formed. A great writing curriculum is indeed intended for students ready and willing to create beautiful poetry and prose, but it is also more than that: it is even more intended for our students to become beautiful people. As the student hammers away at their work, they will find that their work is hammering upon them. As our students form their compositions at the wordsmith’s anvil, their compositions will be forming them. This is not to be avoided; it is the purpose of any worthwhile education.