Lucan's Pharsalia and Manilius's Astronomica illustrates progressive thinking. Pharsalia sheds light onto an era which was born for blood. Grotesque accounts of violence, brutality, and chaos reflect a time of savagery while dipicting relevent themes which would illuminate a western way of thinking in time to come. Lucan's writing was a reflection of practical thinking in terms of the interaction of characters, the pursuit of power, and things relating to attainable value or worth, such as glory as a result of war and conflict. This writing is earth-centric. Lucan's writing is based on the life of the time, by which many fundamental issues are reflected within the literature. Pharsalia is a political poem which could be considered a very modernized aspect of poetry and perhaps ahead of its time. Aside from the dominant themes of war, deceit, passion, and revenge- all of which are very people or state oriented, the poetry focuses mainly on what could be considered Fact- attainable, physical, monetary things whereas literature such as Astronomica had quite the opposite agenda. This literature was born from theory. In the midevil period, poetry like Pharsalia made sense, however Manilius's focus was a dramatic step away from Fact, which would lead the modern audience into a comparision of Fact and Fiction. Manilius brought to light the idea of the universe with its mystique and phenomena, writing about star signs and horoscopes and detailing zodiacal geography. Astronomica is a poem which incorporates a scientific element, taking the audience on a path very different than the typical genre of the time. It is romantic within its science and, although elaborate and eccentric, it adds an element of humour to a time when humour was overshadowded by death and darkness. While Pharsalia illuminates characters in realistic roles, idealizing glory and heroism and articulating the circumstances of the time in terms of violence and war, Astronomica adds an element of the uknown. It is within this unknown which adds a sense of glory and intrigue into the uknown. It adds humour and lightness and takes its audience out of the real and into the surreal in order show that there is life beyond armour, beyond the cruelty, beyond the bloodshed. This literature engages us to use our minds in a creative light, away from the norm of sensible and typical...away from the 'what is, is what shall be' way of thinking.
Tuesday, November 30, 2004
Monday, November 29, 2004
something on Taxonomy
On the topic of boredom and the classification of literature and genres, I found this to be an interesting way of looking at what we're discussing...a more systematic and scientific approach, the idea of taxonomy (of life, and of literature)...
(dictionary reference)
Taxonomy of Life
The taxonomic organization of species is hierarchical. Each species belongs to a genus, each genus belongs to a family, and so on through order, class, phylum, and kingdom. Associations within the hierarchy reflect evolutionary relationships, which are deduced typically from morphological and physiological similarities between species. So, for example, species in the same genus are more closely related and more alike than species that are in different genera within the same family.
Modern taxonomy recognizes five kingdoms, into which the estimated five million species of the world are divided. This table presents a familiar organism from each kingdom and the names of the taxonomic groups to which it belongs.
(like in literature, poetry, other forms of art, and so on...)
Notes toward a Taxonomy of Literature, by Bob Grumman
"While on the internet I've been exposed to a good number of highly intelligent literary discussions. But they've also been full of confused thinking, generally because of what I consider to be their participants' taxonomical ignorance and/or indifference. This has annoyed me, finally, into the following Laying-Down of the Law Concerning the Classification of Literary Works.I begin with Verbal Expression. At the simplest level, there are two kinds: Oral Verbal Expression, or Speech, and Written Verbal Expression, or Writing. I divide the former into Declamation and Stagework, depending on the degree of physical action involved in its presentation. Declamation is that which, for practical purposes, is all speech; stagework that whose effect is seriously reduced if not acted out. Generally, declamation is performed by a single voice, stagework by more than one, but neither is an absolute requirement. As far as I can tell, there is no need for any parallel division of writing."
He goes on to discuss the various categories of classification of literature, see link below. I thought this was interesting because we can compare literary genres, as well as scientific genres and subjects, as well as (and the list goes on) - we naturally classify things, it is human instinct, a part of our intellegence. If you continue on to see his classifications, it is surprising how many he includes and interesting to visually see, the divisions which separate them.
http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/Cafe/1492/lit-tax.html
(dictionary reference)
Taxonomy of Life
The taxonomic organization of species is hierarchical. Each species belongs to a genus, each genus belongs to a family, and so on through order, class, phylum, and kingdom. Associations within the hierarchy reflect evolutionary relationships, which are deduced typically from morphological and physiological similarities between species. So, for example, species in the same genus are more closely related and more alike than species that are in different genera within the same family.
Modern taxonomy recognizes five kingdoms, into which the estimated five million species of the world are divided. This table presents a familiar organism from each kingdom and the names of the taxonomic groups to which it belongs.
(like in literature, poetry, other forms of art, and so on...)
Notes toward a Taxonomy of Literature, by Bob Grumman
"While on the internet I've been exposed to a good number of highly intelligent literary discussions. But they've also been full of confused thinking, generally because of what I consider to be their participants' taxonomical ignorance and/or indifference. This has annoyed me, finally, into the following Laying-Down of the Law Concerning the Classification of Literary Works.I begin with Verbal Expression. At the simplest level, there are two kinds: Oral Verbal Expression, or Speech, and Written Verbal Expression, or Writing. I divide the former into Declamation and Stagework, depending on the degree of physical action involved in its presentation. Declamation is that which, for practical purposes, is all speech; stagework that whose effect is seriously reduced if not acted out. Generally, declamation is performed by a single voice, stagework by more than one, but neither is an absolute requirement. As far as I can tell, there is no need for any parallel division of writing."
He goes on to discuss the various categories of classification of literature, see link below. I thought this was interesting because we can compare literary genres, as well as scientific genres and subjects, as well as (and the list goes on) - we naturally classify things, it is human instinct, a part of our intellegence. If you continue on to see his classifications, it is surprising how many he includes and interesting to visually see, the divisions which separate them.
http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/Cafe/1492/lit-tax.html
Saturday, November 20, 2004
"and then a hero comes along...with the strength to carry on"
Hero's are almost always associated with combat. In midevil times heroism was the conquering of land or man in the pursuit of glory. Today, hero's take many forms and continue to bare these virtues of success. Whether it be winning and fighting, or gaining and giving, there are many heros amonst us in everyday society. Many too, whose faces continue to go unrecognized.
The point is, heroism has root and shape throughout history as found in war or conquest which attributes wealth and power. This is evident today, however enlightened or modern thought extends heroism to individuals of many walks of life, from great authors to atheletes, to people battling illness, the idea of the 'fighter' remains, only in its extended context.
In ancient poetry, a 'hero' was regarded to have god-like virtues, a person or being by which exaggerated events are usually associated. Whatever the situation or threat be, the hero will be larger than it...the hero is larger than life. Wherever a drought, the hero is the rain which brings life again...the hero is always associated with greatness- in physique, in mind or in matter, the hero is the solution and the executor.
The concept of 'hero' is the projection of what we as people long to be- that we inherently desire to be good.
The irony that exists with the glorification of the hero (and this is often found in old English literature) is that, in order for the hero to be heroic, the hero most conquer something or someone else, which usually involves trauma in the form of war, violence, or deceit.
Historically, these attributes often go hand in hand (regardless of the idea that the fight for glory is between the good and the bad) the fact remains that these negative acts must happen in order for the man to become the hero, and as literature communicates, in order for the audience to conceptualize the idea of 'heroism'.
Today, the concept of hero takes on many different forms which helps us to make sense of our lives in terms of the choices we execute and pursue. In terms of midevil literature, the exaggeration of the hero lends itself to simple interpretation, which helps us understand the meaning behind heroism and relate it relative to our own lives. Where literature would defend the position of the armor-clad prince who had the strenth of a hundred and would intimidate and conquer all who stood in his way...we can visualize the concept and use a similar, more realistic belief system in which we can rise above hegemony...we can be good to our neighbour... that we can stand up for ourselves and even if the odds are against us, there is hope.
A hero defends his honour.
Heroism is the rose-cloured glass we look through, reaching and striving and giving hope. It is the romanticized version we wish to see in ourselves.
The point is, heroism has root and shape throughout history as found in war or conquest which attributes wealth and power. This is evident today, however enlightened or modern thought extends heroism to individuals of many walks of life, from great authors to atheletes, to people battling illness, the idea of the 'fighter' remains, only in its extended context.
In ancient poetry, a 'hero' was regarded to have god-like virtues, a person or being by which exaggerated events are usually associated. Whatever the situation or threat be, the hero will be larger than it...the hero is larger than life. Wherever a drought, the hero is the rain which brings life again...the hero is always associated with greatness- in physique, in mind or in matter, the hero is the solution and the executor.
The concept of 'hero' is the projection of what we as people long to be- that we inherently desire to be good.
The irony that exists with the glorification of the hero (and this is often found in old English literature) is that, in order for the hero to be heroic, the hero most conquer something or someone else, which usually involves trauma in the form of war, violence, or deceit.
Historically, these attributes often go hand in hand (regardless of the idea that the fight for glory is between the good and the bad) the fact remains that these negative acts must happen in order for the man to become the hero, and as literature communicates, in order for the audience to conceptualize the idea of 'heroism'.
Today, the concept of hero takes on many different forms which helps us to make sense of our lives in terms of the choices we execute and pursue. In terms of midevil literature, the exaggeration of the hero lends itself to simple interpretation, which helps us understand the meaning behind heroism and relate it relative to our own lives. Where literature would defend the position of the armor-clad prince who had the strenth of a hundred and would intimidate and conquer all who stood in his way...we can visualize the concept and use a similar, more realistic belief system in which we can rise above hegemony...we can be good to our neighbour... that we can stand up for ourselves and even if the odds are against us, there is hope.
A hero defends his honour.
Heroism is the rose-cloured glass we look through, reaching and striving and giving hope. It is the romanticized version we wish to see in ourselves.
Beowulf...Iliad...
Beowulf originated through the oral tradition, spreading folklore and great mythological tales through history. The funny thing is, the story is amazingly ludicrous to read. Or maybe that is too strong a statement…what I mean to say is, the story is exaggerated to the point of slapstick comedy. And I’m not big on that genre…actually, I’m not partial to sci-fi really at all…and I think that, being born in the 19th century, regardless of my personal and academic appreciation for literature and the arts, I distinctly tend over-embellished tales like Beowulf hard to take seriously.
Yes the literature is meant as a creative and eccentric tale to depict the idea of glory and heroism during the dark ages…and after my initial reaction I do take that into account, but I cannot help but cringe at the plot of the tale, regardless of its’ craftsmanship or eloquence.
Beowulf is an incredible account of heroism and mythology intertwined, a telling of enraged beasts disemboweling a kingdom and the man capable of ‘saving the day’, Beowulf himself. The tale is extreme. It is hard not notice the lack of ‘reality’ to the unfolding of events- such as Beowulf overtaking a beast of such vast proportion, especially his dismembering the beast. It was overly fantastic…
I am criticizing the plot and the events of the story which might be unfair as the genre of the tale indeed provides the expected forecast…
The literature was interesting in its elegant horror, its majestic imagination, and the underlying element of the fantastic. Exaggerated details or events such as his apparent swim from Sweden to Finland, or having the strength of thirty men and conquering the beasts. Alliteration and metaphor are used at length to communicate the themes in Beowulf which are very humane (aside from the abundance of violence) also somewhat revolutionary. Ideas included: That it is fulfilling to “help thy neighbour” and those in need, that one’s actions speak louder than one’s word, that good outlasts evil, and so on.
An elegancy rests in the way the tale takes the audience from Beowulf as a strapping and daring young man to the still courageous but aged, older version of himself, still attempting battle, still seeking heroism.
From...
“So becomes it a youth to quit him wellwith his father's friends, by fee and gift,that to aid him, aged, in after days,come warriors willing, should war draw nigh,liegemen loyal: by lauded deedsshall an earl have honor in every clan.”
To…
“Beowulf spake, and a battle-vow madehis last of all: "I have lived through manywars in my youth; now once again,old folk-defender, feud will I seek,do doughty deeds, if the dark destroyerforth from his cavern come to fight me!"”
As we are discussing Homer’s, The Iliad, this epic too shares common themes with that of Beowulf, an obvious thematic consistency being war, savagery and violence. Aside from the darkness the two share, the idea that glory and persistence pay off is evident, that you should seize the day and take advantage of your circumstances, and that glory and honour are everything. The idea and role of the hero and heroism play a leading role throughout both which reflect the morals of the time and give the audience a look into a dramatized version and description of human history as it were told through ideals and images of supernaturalism, mythology and human power… It will be interesting to pursue the Iliad further…
Yes the literature is meant as a creative and eccentric tale to depict the idea of glory and heroism during the dark ages…and after my initial reaction I do take that into account, but I cannot help but cringe at the plot of the tale, regardless of its’ craftsmanship or eloquence.
Beowulf is an incredible account of heroism and mythology intertwined, a telling of enraged beasts disemboweling a kingdom and the man capable of ‘saving the day’, Beowulf himself. The tale is extreme. It is hard not notice the lack of ‘reality’ to the unfolding of events- such as Beowulf overtaking a beast of such vast proportion, especially his dismembering the beast. It was overly fantastic…
I am criticizing the plot and the events of the story which might be unfair as the genre of the tale indeed provides the expected forecast…
The literature was interesting in its elegant horror, its majestic imagination, and the underlying element of the fantastic. Exaggerated details or events such as his apparent swim from Sweden to Finland, or having the strength of thirty men and conquering the beasts. Alliteration and metaphor are used at length to communicate the themes in Beowulf which are very humane (aside from the abundance of violence) also somewhat revolutionary. Ideas included: That it is fulfilling to “help thy neighbour” and those in need, that one’s actions speak louder than one’s word, that good outlasts evil, and so on.
An elegancy rests in the way the tale takes the audience from Beowulf as a strapping and daring young man to the still courageous but aged, older version of himself, still attempting battle, still seeking heroism.
From...
“So becomes it a youth to quit him wellwith his father's friends, by fee and gift,that to aid him, aged, in after days,come warriors willing, should war draw nigh,liegemen loyal: by lauded deedsshall an earl have honor in every clan.”
To…
“Beowulf spake, and a battle-vow madehis last of all: "I have lived through manywars in my youth; now once again,old folk-defender, feud will I seek,do doughty deeds, if the dark destroyerforth from his cavern come to fight me!"”
As we are discussing Homer’s, The Iliad, this epic too shares common themes with that of Beowulf, an obvious thematic consistency being war, savagery and violence. Aside from the darkness the two share, the idea that glory and persistence pay off is evident, that you should seize the day and take advantage of your circumstances, and that glory and honour are everything. The idea and role of the hero and heroism play a leading role throughout both which reflect the morals of the time and give the audience a look into a dramatized version and description of human history as it were told through ideals and images of supernaturalism, mythology and human power… It will be interesting to pursue the Iliad further…
Thursday, November 04, 2004
Our mental toolbox
Really, anything can be analyzed to death. We have a tenancy to analyze our behaviour... our thoughts... our dreams- to the point of exhaustion. This is natural, and this is what we do...we think things to death. So instinctive to our nature is criticism, theory, and personal philosophy, that we've cultured ourselves into exercising our analytic energy into a form of entertainment all on its' own. Like organized and thoughtful minds do, we search our mental rolodex for creative, applicable, and useful ways to systematically classify, divide, and separate ideas- people or things- in order to add layers of mystery, intrigue, and interest. All of us in one way or another, dip into this culture we've created. Whether it is criticizing a friend, discussing an article, contrasting reality shows, or merely looking out the window in wonderment of the changing seasons...we piece our thoughts and experiences together to form an unobvious understanding, because often, "the obvious" to us, isn't good enough.
Which, is good.
Being thoughtful makes us well. Being interested keeps us alive and full of spirit. In poetry and in writing in general, that element of 'obvious' is like a vial and acidic taste that we try so desperately to avoid. No one wants to be 'typical', or predictable, or even ordinary.
We are creative beings with absolute and great energy. Some of us harness this energy into profit-making markets; some of us pursue our dream jobs, some of us "work on the line", and some of us pursue the road less traveled. The one thing we have in common is the pursuit of ourselves. The allowance we give ourselves secretly or noticeably, the unspoken commitment that we are thoughtful human beings, creators, and cultivators, who will always have something to say.
This in mind, it only makes sense that we thrive within order. We keep our thoughts arranged in ways unexplained. We understand ourselves better than any, and that does not in any way, make us inaccessible. We classify what we intake, we have our personal systems which allow us to recall information or ideas, our memory abiding. We have set values and set goals, we know what is right and what is wrong, and we use these elements of our consciousness as the leading tools they are, to help us on our continuous interpretation of life and understanding.
We are constantly taking information and "putting a spin" on it. That spin, is our own idea or version of the information. Like broken telephone, you know the line, you pass it on, but you add a little flavour before you do...and so on...by the end of it, when the game is done, the message is usually radically different than it's beginning.
And so we continue to play with the mysteries of the world, we continue to play in theory. It is as entertaining as it is crucial. The only way to new knowledge is by believing in the mystery of the 'still to come'...we will always be thinking of the next thing. It's our human nature, it's what we do. It's what we do even if it's something we do, unsaid.
We are feeling and thinking human beings with alot to say, a lot to share, and a lot on our minds...
The beauty of thoughtful engagement is evident within our workplaces, our schools, our institutions...however, when it comes to analyzing literature or poetry, or any great works of creative art...this stringent aspect of ourselves becomes less attractive and somewhat vulgar.
You can classify to death. You can order yourself to death. The death of creativity, the death of - what was- art.
Now, that's a little strong. You won't actually kill-off a piece of art, or a work of literature, but you will kill-off the experience for yourself. The piece will still remain for the next person to consider, to ponder, to analyze, but you will have surgically removed its essence in the overkill of contemplation.
But then again, maybe that is the beauty you experience, not within the art itself, but within the process of your analyzation...that the act of thinking through the layers so intricately, so obsessively, was the necessary experience.
Either way, there exists that "overkill" element to classification of genres and systems. Yes, we do use these elements as tools to possess further understanding or to retrieve relevant information and ideas when necessary, however we can overuse these tools and wind up dissecting great beauty to the point of mutilating the experience entirely.
Which, is good.
Being thoughtful makes us well. Being interested keeps us alive and full of spirit. In poetry and in writing in general, that element of 'obvious' is like a vial and acidic taste that we try so desperately to avoid. No one wants to be 'typical', or predictable, or even ordinary.
We are creative beings with absolute and great energy. Some of us harness this energy into profit-making markets; some of us pursue our dream jobs, some of us "work on the line", and some of us pursue the road less traveled. The one thing we have in common is the pursuit of ourselves. The allowance we give ourselves secretly or noticeably, the unspoken commitment that we are thoughtful human beings, creators, and cultivators, who will always have something to say.
This in mind, it only makes sense that we thrive within order. We keep our thoughts arranged in ways unexplained. We understand ourselves better than any, and that does not in any way, make us inaccessible. We classify what we intake, we have our personal systems which allow us to recall information or ideas, our memory abiding. We have set values and set goals, we know what is right and what is wrong, and we use these elements of our consciousness as the leading tools they are, to help us on our continuous interpretation of life and understanding.
We are constantly taking information and "putting a spin" on it. That spin, is our own idea or version of the information. Like broken telephone, you know the line, you pass it on, but you add a little flavour before you do...and so on...by the end of it, when the game is done, the message is usually radically different than it's beginning.
And so we continue to play with the mysteries of the world, we continue to play in theory. It is as entertaining as it is crucial. The only way to new knowledge is by believing in the mystery of the 'still to come'...we will always be thinking of the next thing. It's our human nature, it's what we do. It's what we do even if it's something we do, unsaid.
We are feeling and thinking human beings with alot to say, a lot to share, and a lot on our minds...
The beauty of thoughtful engagement is evident within our workplaces, our schools, our institutions...however, when it comes to analyzing literature or poetry, or any great works of creative art...this stringent aspect of ourselves becomes less attractive and somewhat vulgar.
You can classify to death. You can order yourself to death. The death of creativity, the death of - what was- art.
Now, that's a little strong. You won't actually kill-off a piece of art, or a work of literature, but you will kill-off the experience for yourself. The piece will still remain for the next person to consider, to ponder, to analyze, but you will have surgically removed its essence in the overkill of contemplation.
But then again, maybe that is the beauty you experience, not within the art itself, but within the process of your analyzation...that the act of thinking through the layers so intricately, so obsessively, was the necessary experience.
Either way, there exists that "overkill" element to classification of genres and systems. Yes, we do use these elements as tools to possess further understanding or to retrieve relevant information and ideas when necessary, however we can overuse these tools and wind up dissecting great beauty to the point of mutilating the experience entirely.
Sunday, October 24, 2004
...
Suffering- the silent, unlocked giant,
And it is this, I'd say, that helps to keep at bay,
the sadness.
And instead, we play, and think of suffering,
Another day.
And it is this, I'd say, that helps to keep at bay,
the sadness.
And instead, we play, and think of suffering,
Another day.
as the day fades
Right here, right now...
Sitting by this window, on this particular night
There's nothing really at all, that feels quite right
My thoughts are heavy, my hands oddly cold
Intense feelings wash over me, this is who I am, I've been told
But you know, this is just me, just what I'm thinking
Sitting here in the deep, this cold afternoon, shrinking...
Sitting by this window, on this particular night
There's nothing really at all, that feels quite right
My thoughts are heavy, my hands oddly cold
Intense feelings wash over me, this is who I am, I've been told
But you know, this is just me, just what I'm thinking
Sitting here in the deep, this cold afternoon, shrinking...
Saturday, October 23, 2004
Aspects of Literary Writing: Prose and Verse
Prose is a formal way of writing. Prose is everyday thoughts or speech put to paper and contextualized in a formal structure. Those who write in prose, often focus their work on very formal, academic approaches to writing (assuming we're concentrating on overall good and decent prose). Literary prose is a combination of verse and the "proper" way of writing. Verse encompases literature in various forms, from the casual and eclectic to the classic and academic. Here, literary prose can be seen as a combination of structure (formal writing) with flavour (incorporating imagination into the literature).
Take, for example, a random idea. If we started to write extensively on this idea, just off the top of our head about (anything), really using our imagination, 'taking our hair down', writing as if we were talking out loud to ourselves, realizing this idea, bringing it to light... this would be a form of pure prose, and verse...
Now imagine what kind of text we'd have been writing in. It would be erratic and unstructured and, if read by another audience, would make little to no sense.
Literary prose is something of this nature. It's taking an untamed thought (or in otherwords, our imagination) and subjecting it to criticism in the form of structure. It's like a wild-child at play, being subjected to detention.
By taking any literary writing, or really any thought, and formulating it to fit a structure so that anyone would be able to comprehend the work.
Literary Prose is a construction of language, a tool that enables us to 'make sense' of imaginitive writing, to put it to pen and paper, appropriately.
When reading Sir Thomas Browns' "Religio Medici" the first thing that came to mind was the use of punctuation. The style is evident too, in the use of punctuation, in which the literature takes shape, creates character, and sets the tone. In each section it appears at first, as if he's writing run-on sentences. When you read his passages aloud to yourself, you realize that this piece of writing is articulate and academic, a good piece of prose. This is where I discovered how the elements of prose and literature work together to create comprehensible material.
Prose when combined with literary form (when diciplined) is like putting thoughts to pen and paper and appropriating them so that they may make sense to the reader...so that the reader is drawn into the feeling in the verse. His, is like a monologue that draws you in, where you notice the feeling and the mood in the literature. Here, Sir Thomas Brown seems deeply thoughtful, almost burdened by these thoughts, vulnerable, you feel as if he's discussing his feelings at free-will, that he's discussing them with you, that you happened to over-hear or stumble into a situation whereby you are overhearing something private, a personal contemplation.
Reading this, there's a feeling of validation, that he's perhaps talking aloud, reassuring himself of his thoughts, of his decisions, of his beliefs, or maybe he's trying to find the solution, maybe he's contemplating, weighing the possibilities...
"Sect. 5.--But, to difference myself nearer, and draw into a lesser circle; there is no church whose every part so squares unto my conscience, whose articles, constitutions, and customs, seem so consonant unto reason, and, as it were, framed to my particular devotion, as this whereof I hold my belief--the Church of England; to whose faith I am a sworn subject, and therefore, in a double obligation, subscribe unto her articles, and endeavour to observe her constitutions: whatsoever is beyond, as points indifferent, I observe, according to the rules of my private reason, or the humour and fashion of my devotion; neither believing this because Luther affirmed it, nor disproving that because Calvin hath disavouched it. I condemn not all things in the council of..." (Sir Thomas Brown, Relisio Medici). A discussion of his personal beliefs, of society and religion...he seems in turmoil, pained by thoughts, pained by his own beliefs, as if an inner suffering exists, a sense of lonliness resides in this work.
As seen in the work of W.H. Pater, a high level of imagination is evident. His strong use of the English language, the way prose is structured by using heavy, imaginative words and descriptions while in-keeping with the comphrehensibility of the prose and formality of the subject. Many characteristics in this work are inspired by religion, the church, and the cultural influences of the time.
MARIUS THE EPICUREAN, VOLUME ONEPART THE FIRSTCHAPTER I: "THE RELIGION OF NUMA" (W. H. Pater)
[3] As, in the triumph of Christianity, the old religion lingered latest in the country, and died out at last as but paganism--thereligion of the villagers, before the advance of the ChristianChurch; so, in an earlier century, it was in places remote from town-life that the older and purer forms of paganism itself had survivedthe longest. While, in Rome, new religions had arisen with bewildering complexity around the dying old one, the earlier and simpler patriarchal religion, "the religion of Numa," as people lovedto fancy, lingered on with little change amid the pastoral life, out of the habits and sentiment of which so much of it had grown.
Logical sentences are structured and heavy use of formal and descrptive language is evident, all which are characteristic of good prose. In this passage we can see the combination of literary writing (verse) with very formal subject matter or "information style" language (technical writing) of prose, which becomes literary prose as the two mate- the "sense and sensibility" aspect- the untamed, tamed.
Take, for example, a random idea. If we started to write extensively on this idea, just off the top of our head about (anything), really using our imagination, 'taking our hair down', writing as if we were talking out loud to ourselves, realizing this idea, bringing it to light... this would be a form of pure prose, and verse...
Now imagine what kind of text we'd have been writing in. It would be erratic and unstructured and, if read by another audience, would make little to no sense.
Literary prose is something of this nature. It's taking an untamed thought (or in otherwords, our imagination) and subjecting it to criticism in the form of structure. It's like a wild-child at play, being subjected to detention.
By taking any literary writing, or really any thought, and formulating it to fit a structure so that anyone would be able to comprehend the work.
Literary Prose is a construction of language, a tool that enables us to 'make sense' of imaginitive writing, to put it to pen and paper, appropriately.
When reading Sir Thomas Browns' "Religio Medici" the first thing that came to mind was the use of punctuation. The style is evident too, in the use of punctuation, in which the literature takes shape, creates character, and sets the tone. In each section it appears at first, as if he's writing run-on sentences. When you read his passages aloud to yourself, you realize that this piece of writing is articulate and academic, a good piece of prose. This is where I discovered how the elements of prose and literature work together to create comprehensible material.
Prose when combined with literary form (when diciplined) is like putting thoughts to pen and paper and appropriating them so that they may make sense to the reader...so that the reader is drawn into the feeling in the verse. His, is like a monologue that draws you in, where you notice the feeling and the mood in the literature. Here, Sir Thomas Brown seems deeply thoughtful, almost burdened by these thoughts, vulnerable, you feel as if he's discussing his feelings at free-will, that he's discussing them with you, that you happened to over-hear or stumble into a situation whereby you are overhearing something private, a personal contemplation.
Reading this, there's a feeling of validation, that he's perhaps talking aloud, reassuring himself of his thoughts, of his decisions, of his beliefs, or maybe he's trying to find the solution, maybe he's contemplating, weighing the possibilities...
"Sect. 5.--But, to difference myself nearer, and draw into a lesser circle; there is no church whose every part so squares unto my conscience, whose articles, constitutions, and customs, seem so consonant unto reason, and, as it were, framed to my particular devotion, as this whereof I hold my belief--the Church of England; to whose faith I am a sworn subject, and therefore, in a double obligation, subscribe unto her articles, and endeavour to observe her constitutions: whatsoever is beyond, as points indifferent, I observe, according to the rules of my private reason, or the humour and fashion of my devotion; neither believing this because Luther affirmed it, nor disproving that because Calvin hath disavouched it. I condemn not all things in the council of..." (Sir Thomas Brown, Relisio Medici). A discussion of his personal beliefs, of society and religion...he seems in turmoil, pained by thoughts, pained by his own beliefs, as if an inner suffering exists, a sense of lonliness resides in this work.
As seen in the work of W.H. Pater, a high level of imagination is evident. His strong use of the English language, the way prose is structured by using heavy, imaginative words and descriptions while in-keeping with the comphrehensibility of the prose and formality of the subject. Many characteristics in this work are inspired by religion, the church, and the cultural influences of the time.
MARIUS THE EPICUREAN, VOLUME ONEPART THE FIRSTCHAPTER I: "THE RELIGION OF NUMA" (W. H. Pater)
[3] As, in the triumph of Christianity, the old religion lingered latest in the country, and died out at last as but paganism--thereligion of the villagers, before the advance of the ChristianChurch; so, in an earlier century, it was in places remote from town-life that the older and purer forms of paganism itself had survivedthe longest. While, in Rome, new religions had arisen with bewildering complexity around the dying old one, the earlier and simpler patriarchal religion, "the religion of Numa," as people lovedto fancy, lingered on with little change amid the pastoral life, out of the habits and sentiment of which so much of it had grown.
Logical sentences are structured and heavy use of formal and descrptive language is evident, all which are characteristic of good prose. In this passage we can see the combination of literary writing (verse) with very formal subject matter or "information style" language (technical writing) of prose, which becomes literary prose as the two mate- the "sense and sensibility" aspect- the untamed, tamed.
Wednesday, October 20, 2004
a silly thing, part deux
I was a little too quick to the punch.
Here is that poetry link for those of you who are so inclined:
http://www.poetry.com/Iq/QuizUI.asp
Here is that poetry link for those of you who are so inclined:
http://www.poetry.com/Iq/QuizUI.asp
a silly thing
Just in...
I'm at work and reading some online poetry (on my break) right...
Anyway, I found this pretty informative site through a website called "Tickle" (formally known as Emode.com) where they have many 'kitchy' type tests (meaning 'silly' tests). On this site they linked me to a very good Poetry page that (if you have the time to spare) you might find interesting to a degree. It's an online poetry quiz, it measures your technical poetry knowledge.
Mind you this is only for fun.
This is not an academic site. I'm just bringing this to attention for those of us (like me) who find themselves reading online journals or newspapers or poetry, and might find this useful to some degree.
I'm at work and reading some online poetry (on my break) right...
Anyway, I found this pretty informative site through a website called "Tickle" (formally known as Emode.com) where they have many 'kitchy' type tests (meaning 'silly' tests). On this site they linked me to a very good Poetry page that (if you have the time to spare) you might find interesting to a degree. It's an online poetry quiz, it measures your technical poetry knowledge.
Mind you this is only for fun.
This is not an academic site. I'm just bringing this to attention for those of us (like me) who find themselves reading online journals or newspapers or poetry, and might find this useful to some degree.
Monday, October 11, 2004
The good/bad of it
A relevent and necessary appreciation exists for the work of "bad" poetry. Often the education of bad poetry leads to better poetry, simply by realizing fault within the work. Bad poetry is often so entirely ludicrous that there are many essential elements that can be examined, in hopes to lead the way to more sensible material.
Elements of bad poetry can be found in the rhyme scheme- poets do not have control over the metre, and in return find their rhymes stressed and somewhat incomprehensible.
Often metaphors are stretched or "too far fetched"; in the attempt to describe something quite simple, some poetry becomes overly ambitious and 'describes something to death'- trying to paint the picture to the point of extinction. The initial image goes from being easily understood to something obscene and loses the effect of the narrative in the process.
Other times, bad poetry is incredibly evident within the ryhme, when the writer desperately attempts to create a union or a commonality in the rhyme scheme and in return, makes something quite silly instead.
This is evident in Nash's "Requiem" poem:
"There was a young belle of old Natchez.
Whose garments were always in patchez.
When comment arose
On the state of her clothes,
She drawled, When Ah itchez, Ah scratchez!"
Trying incessantly to create a pattern can in turn create an abominable piece of writing. There is humour evident in his poem, which is likely what the poem weighs itself on, but it is a bit far fetched and, again, silly.
But who is to say poetry has to be professional, articulate, immaculate, or academic?
In writing poetry, there are rules, otherwise poetry would exist in almost anything written. Free verse is not poetry, and in a sense, Nash's poem is similar to free verse as it is not well controlled.
Another example of poor writing is evident in a poem by Solyman Brown entitled, "The Dentolgia":
"Whatever wealth and false refinement reign,
The pampered appetites compose their train
Remotest climes supply the varied feast,
But wisdom never comes it welcome guest
The gormand-folly bids the poison pass,
And drains destruction from the circling glass..."
A poem like this, when read aloud, would sound almost foreign as the rhyming words chosen are not ideal (i.e. reign, train...) and each sentence refers to very different images which do not relate. It is not a matter of fact that the words chosen Do indeed ryhme, it is rather the context that they are desperately trying to rhyme within, to house meaning somewhere inside, when really such basic and unaffecting words, hold no substance and no contribution to the poem, accept that they do rhyme in their silly and simple manner.
There is something to be learned within the technical components and the context of bad poetry. By recognizing poor structure and compostion, it is evermore evident how great good poetry is when this difference is noticed. The quality of a poem is captured in its essence. The essence of poetry can be compared to that of the sound and mood a great piece of music can create. Its structure and its sentiment can create great passion, and great feeling. Ideally, poetry should be created from, and create in its audience a sense of great feeling.
Bad poetry creates poor imagery. Its over-use of poorly fitting analogies, and over-emphasis of misplaced or misued words with equally stretched meaning, is often exercised regularly throughout bad poems. Sometimes a good writer can attempt to search for the perfect word or rhyme scheme and get "on a roll" and instead, fall victim to bad poetry as their writing becomes more and more unnatural as the absurdity of the description becomes one long, run-on idea, becoming somewhat nonsensical. By 'over doing it' the writer can end-up analyzing to pieces, leaving the audience with nothing to imagine for themselves, and taking their description on a descent from decent, to embarrassing.
Elements of bad poetry can be found in the rhyme scheme- poets do not have control over the metre, and in return find their rhymes stressed and somewhat incomprehensible.
Often metaphors are stretched or "too far fetched"; in the attempt to describe something quite simple, some poetry becomes overly ambitious and 'describes something to death'- trying to paint the picture to the point of extinction. The initial image goes from being easily understood to something obscene and loses the effect of the narrative in the process.
Other times, bad poetry is incredibly evident within the ryhme, when the writer desperately attempts to create a union or a commonality in the rhyme scheme and in return, makes something quite silly instead.
This is evident in Nash's "Requiem" poem:
"There was a young belle of old Natchez.
Whose garments were always in patchez.
When comment arose
On the state of her clothes,
She drawled, When Ah itchez, Ah scratchez!"
Trying incessantly to create a pattern can in turn create an abominable piece of writing. There is humour evident in his poem, which is likely what the poem weighs itself on, but it is a bit far fetched and, again, silly.
But who is to say poetry has to be professional, articulate, immaculate, or academic?
In writing poetry, there are rules, otherwise poetry would exist in almost anything written. Free verse is not poetry, and in a sense, Nash's poem is similar to free verse as it is not well controlled.
Another example of poor writing is evident in a poem by Solyman Brown entitled, "The Dentolgia":
"Whatever wealth and false refinement reign,
The pampered appetites compose their train
Remotest climes supply the varied feast,
But wisdom never comes it welcome guest
The gormand-folly bids the poison pass,
And drains destruction from the circling glass..."
A poem like this, when read aloud, would sound almost foreign as the rhyming words chosen are not ideal (i.e. reign, train...) and each sentence refers to very different images which do not relate. It is not a matter of fact that the words chosen Do indeed ryhme, it is rather the context that they are desperately trying to rhyme within, to house meaning somewhere inside, when really such basic and unaffecting words, hold no substance and no contribution to the poem, accept that they do rhyme in their silly and simple manner.
There is something to be learned within the technical components and the context of bad poetry. By recognizing poor structure and compostion, it is evermore evident how great good poetry is when this difference is noticed. The quality of a poem is captured in its essence. The essence of poetry can be compared to that of the sound and mood a great piece of music can create. Its structure and its sentiment can create great passion, and great feeling. Ideally, poetry should be created from, and create in its audience a sense of great feeling.
Bad poetry creates poor imagery. Its over-use of poorly fitting analogies, and over-emphasis of misplaced or misued words with equally stretched meaning, is often exercised regularly throughout bad poems. Sometimes a good writer can attempt to search for the perfect word or rhyme scheme and get "on a roll" and instead, fall victim to bad poetry as their writing becomes more and more unnatural as the absurdity of the description becomes one long, run-on idea, becoming somewhat nonsensical. By 'over doing it' the writer can end-up analyzing to pieces, leaving the audience with nothing to imagine for themselves, and taking their description on a descent from decent, to embarrassing.
Tuesday, October 05, 2004
Why some, not all?
There is a certain stigma attached to poetry; that it is pretentious, "artsy", and often associated with scholars, or high-society.
The typical cliche of the beggar-clad poet, fretting about in high-priced coffee shoppes and drinking beverages with far too many adjectives. Using overly ambitious phrases and pondering his most recent read, he sits particularly casual, absorbed, and for the most part, unapproachable.
For many people who are not inclined to poetry, it is likely that they assume this picture in their minds of the typical 'poet' who is far too impressed with himself, dark and somewhat moody, and therefore consumes his days with complicated problems to which the resolution to some, may seem silly.
All that pondering, all that work, for what? It is possible that some people are just not aware of the benefits of poetry.
And it is this person, the coffee-shop-tweed-wearing, dark lord of the Thesaurus scholar, that people who are "turned-off" by poetry, imagine in their minds. It is somewhat ignorant to paint such a picture, but it is an honest and perhaps accurate assumption of dipicting the image that poetry and poetics in general instill in people.
Poetry turns many people off for a few reasons: Poetry is often difficult and complex to read and interpret. Reading poetry can be a tedious task, one which some would find intimidating, and therefore seen as a 'turn-off'. As poetry is often intricate and technical; usually written of an intellegent nature, it can become problematic and difficult to comphrehend. It is here that some people might find they are discouraged or affraid to approach the material for fear they might not understand what they read.
And no one appreciates a feeling of inferiority, especially if they have the choice to avoid the situation altogether.
As current "pop-culture" rules the airwaves, dominates the media, and consumes the lives of many people from primetime to bedtime, it is ever-more evident that material such as poetry, when approached, would be regarded as much more time consuming and irritating than would be considered 'time well spent'.
With the idea of drive-thru (everything), the concept of saving time and energy where possible, creates an inherent characteristic in the way many of us live our lives...that it is much easier to be given information than to seek or find information or material for ourselves. Much less analyze the material for leisure purposes only.
In this way I propose that many people disregard poetry as something too involved; they do not want to commit themselves to partaking in this 'task', to finding understanding and meaning within the context, that it would be much simpler, much more enjoyable to read a narrative, fiction novel, romance novel...to be told a story, without having to learn the 'tools of the trade' beforehand.
Poetry is itself, it's own language. It takes time and sometimes effort, to disypher the context, to gain insight to the poem or story. This is time many people do not have or care to spend on something that can often be seen as a more of burden than an asset.
But there exists another side to the coin, one which with little investment, opens us up to another world of langauge and literature, of concepts in love and hate, in war and in life, this endearing culture of communication in the form of poetry.
It is important to consider too, that poetry and poetry literature is not that readily available. How often, outside of the 'academic world', are we suggest a book or referred to a specific poem? Not often. And this lack of consistency or lack of resource creates a barrier between the material and its audience, because poetry when it surfaces, or when we decide to endeavour, or for whatever purpose it is accessed, would then be seen as more foreign and unapproachable than before.
The media, for many of us, has conditioned us to 'chill out' afterwork or afterschool, which is interpreted as "turning your brain off" by sitting in front of the computer or television and "baking"...this way, you are not required to think, it is already done for you.
Poetry challenges you to think.
And for those who enjoy this artform are willingly challenged. They are passionate and excited and consume themselves with poetry and poetics. And for those that would rather pass on that challenge, are either unaware of the fortunes that exist within the medium, or are blatently uninterested in the commitment.
Either way, poetry takes time. It depends on the level of interest in the audience, in the reader, that determines the quality of the read, how much is taken away from a poem and how much was received.
Poetry may not be for everyone, but it deserves a taste before it is cast away. Once the benefits are revealed, it is possible to find answers to questions within yourself, and within life, that you may not have considered before; your sensations heightened as you experience the sound of adventure, passion and desire, and aspects of life, that you never imagined existed before.
The typical cliche of the beggar-clad poet, fretting about in high-priced coffee shoppes and drinking beverages with far too many adjectives. Using overly ambitious phrases and pondering his most recent read, he sits particularly casual, absorbed, and for the most part, unapproachable.
For many people who are not inclined to poetry, it is likely that they assume this picture in their minds of the typical 'poet' who is far too impressed with himself, dark and somewhat moody, and therefore consumes his days with complicated problems to which the resolution to some, may seem silly.
All that pondering, all that work, for what? It is possible that some people are just not aware of the benefits of poetry.
And it is this person, the coffee-shop-tweed-wearing, dark lord of the Thesaurus scholar, that people who are "turned-off" by poetry, imagine in their minds. It is somewhat ignorant to paint such a picture, but it is an honest and perhaps accurate assumption of dipicting the image that poetry and poetics in general instill in people.
Poetry turns many people off for a few reasons: Poetry is often difficult and complex to read and interpret. Reading poetry can be a tedious task, one which some would find intimidating, and therefore seen as a 'turn-off'. As poetry is often intricate and technical; usually written of an intellegent nature, it can become problematic and difficult to comphrehend. It is here that some people might find they are discouraged or affraid to approach the material for fear they might not understand what they read.
And no one appreciates a feeling of inferiority, especially if they have the choice to avoid the situation altogether.
As current "pop-culture" rules the airwaves, dominates the media, and consumes the lives of many people from primetime to bedtime, it is ever-more evident that material such as poetry, when approached, would be regarded as much more time consuming and irritating than would be considered 'time well spent'.
With the idea of drive-thru (everything), the concept of saving time and energy where possible, creates an inherent characteristic in the way many of us live our lives...that it is much easier to be given information than to seek or find information or material for ourselves. Much less analyze the material for leisure purposes only.
In this way I propose that many people disregard poetry as something too involved; they do not want to commit themselves to partaking in this 'task', to finding understanding and meaning within the context, that it would be much simpler, much more enjoyable to read a narrative, fiction novel, romance novel...to be told a story, without having to learn the 'tools of the trade' beforehand.
Poetry is itself, it's own language. It takes time and sometimes effort, to disypher the context, to gain insight to the poem or story. This is time many people do not have or care to spend on something that can often be seen as a more of burden than an asset.
But there exists another side to the coin, one which with little investment, opens us up to another world of langauge and literature, of concepts in love and hate, in war and in life, this endearing culture of communication in the form of poetry.
It is important to consider too, that poetry and poetry literature is not that readily available. How often, outside of the 'academic world', are we suggest a book or referred to a specific poem? Not often. And this lack of consistency or lack of resource creates a barrier between the material and its audience, because poetry when it surfaces, or when we decide to endeavour, or for whatever purpose it is accessed, would then be seen as more foreign and unapproachable than before.
The media, for many of us, has conditioned us to 'chill out' afterwork or afterschool, which is interpreted as "turning your brain off" by sitting in front of the computer or television and "baking"...this way, you are not required to think, it is already done for you.
Poetry challenges you to think.
And for those who enjoy this artform are willingly challenged. They are passionate and excited and consume themselves with poetry and poetics. And for those that would rather pass on that challenge, are either unaware of the fortunes that exist within the medium, or are blatently uninterested in the commitment.
Either way, poetry takes time. It depends on the level of interest in the audience, in the reader, that determines the quality of the read, how much is taken away from a poem and how much was received.
Poetry may not be for everyone, but it deserves a taste before it is cast away. Once the benefits are revealed, it is possible to find answers to questions within yourself, and within life, that you may not have considered before; your sensations heightened as you experience the sound of adventure, passion and desire, and aspects of life, that you never imagined existed before.
What is?
What is Poetry?
At first, I was somewhat skeptical when I read this question.
My initial impression was that there, somewhere, existed a hidden meaning within which only an equally witty response could answer. And so, I considered an abstract truth in response,
"Poetry cannot be simply defined or categorized". Period. The End. Submit.
(Because really...what am I supposed to say?) Is that not just?
Poetry...
Poetry is...Poetry is to me...
What is poetry, to me? Poetry is creation.
It's imagination. It's observation. It's an expression of oneself.
Like a mathematician solves equations, poetry unveils a sort of truth within it's mechanics. There is meaning. Mind you, there is various interpretations to any one meaning, but there is great meaning.
Poetry is complex to the untrained eye...but it exists as a vehicle for communication, a universal language. And as most languages are complex at first, and so very often misunderstood, once the care and the time has been taken, and once the effort has been met to learn and to hone the desired language; once it is ready to be used freely (and at times, misued) only then does it reveal itself as the majestic and sacred tool it is, only then has truth, intellegence, and passion ever sounded so lovely...
Poetry is the music of language. It is a creation born and crafted desirably, in order to fulfill its message, its story, its purpose. Language can often be manipulated; molded and shaped to produce a desired meaning.
Poetry is a creation. Like a muscian uses his voice, like a doctor uses his hands, poetry is a product of ideas, a gift that essentially exists in us all, a thing that we can utilize as a creative means for communication.
An expression of thought, poetry is formed from fragments of questions and answers and bounded by feelings and emotions. It is a vehicle and a voice for realization and creation to emerge. It's a platform for expression, it's a personal signature.
Poetry educates. It attempts to explain to the reader, the listener, as it extends from the writer, the creator...a message. A message of knowledge, insight, and information. Poetry is an alternative to the norm. It "walks its own path". It educates and stimulates personal growth. It helps to paint a visual, while at the same time, playing a beat...
In the end, I feel a problem exists within this question...how do you describe something so extensive, so intricate, without taking its ingrediants away in doing so?
"Once you attempt to define passion, you lose it" ...
And, as a friend once said so well...
Poetry? "Beauty shouldn't be autopsied".
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)