tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3020960402708303830.post39995174615618480..comments2024-03-28T14:53:38.827-04:00Comments on BLCKDGRD: Do Not Underestimate Objects!Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3020960402708303830.post-30666646599693256982016-04-13T11:11:38.496-04:002016-04-13T11:11:38.496-04:00I am much struck by the resemblance between this p...I am much struck by the resemblance between this poem and <b>Thomas Cole's 1840 series of paintings "The Voyage of Life", </b>which is one of my favorites at the National Gallery of Art.<br /><br />en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Voyage_of_Life<br /><br />In the paintings, the human is traveling ON the stream, whereas in the poem the soul IS the stream - but otherwise the parallelism is quite close.<br /><br />The term "dead element" could use a little unpacking. Here's an illustrative passage from Greek Orthodox theology:<br /><br /><b>The universe consists of two elements: the dead and the living one. Strict laws of physics govern the dead element. The essence of its activities are reduced to the formula: "Cause and effect." It contains masses of "matter," mainly in its coarse, almost wild form, and physical "energy."</b><br /><br />So our poet is pointing to the seeming paradox (from one perspective) of consciousness and emotions - the ability to have lived experience, to feel joy and sorrow, desire and loss - in something physically made of matter and energy, which is part of the physical world. Suffusing the entire poem is the idea that the soul enters the world we know by participating in the body's life, and then at the end leaves it behind. This also is the theme of Cole's suite of paintings. <br /><br />I feel a bit uncomfortable about this "dualist" way of looking at things, and were I more familiar with Wundt's panentheistic perspective I would attempt to argue for <b>William Blake</b>'s view: <i>"Man has no Body distinct from his Soul; for that called Body is a portion of Soul discerned by the five Senses, the chief inlets of Soul in this age."</i><br /><br />In any case, all these old poems and paintings are a prelude for my pointing to a particular song which I discovered late last night on YouTube, searching for something to soothe my worried mind:<br /><br />https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CsS4xlHKnpw<br /><br />It is an "unplugged" version of Steve Winwood's 1987 hit "Higher Love" - sung by his daughter Lilly, with piano and background vocals provided by the proud papa. The words are by <b>Will Jennings </b>(whose Wikipedia bio is also worth reading) - <br /><br />Think about it, there must be higher love <br />Down in the heart and in the stars above, <br />Without it, life is wasted time. <br />Look inside your heart, I'll look inside mine <br /><br />Things look so bad everywhere <br />In this whole world, what's fair? <br />We walk blind and we try to see <br />Falling behind in what could be. <br /><br />Bring me a higher love <br />Bring me a higher love, <br />Bring me a higher love <br />Where's this higher love, I've been thinking of? <br /><br />Worlds are turning and we're just hanging on <br />Facing our fear, standing out there alone <br />Oh a yearning, and it's real for me <br />There must be someone who's feeling for me <br />Things look so bad everywhere <br /><br />In this whole world, what's fair? <br />We walk blind and we try to see <br />Falling behind in what could be <br /><br />Bring me a higher love <br />Bring me a higher love, <br />Bring me a higher love <br />Where's this higher love, I've been thinking of? <br /><br />I will wait for it, I'm not too late for it <br />Until then, I'll sing my song <br />To cheer the night along <br /><br />I could light the night up with my soul on fire<br />I could make the sun shine from pure desire<br />Let me feel the love come over me<br />Let me feel how strong it can be<br /><br />Bring me a higher love <br />Bring me a higher love, oh <br />Bring me a higher love <br />I could rise above for this higher love.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><b></b>mistah charley, ph.d.https://www.blogger.com/profile/06303695341246058680noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3020960402708303830.post-81610132220465988742016-04-13T01:02:46.558-04:002016-04-13T01:02:46.558-04:00LIFE
A little fount upwells
On some snow-soilèd ...LIFE<br /><br />A little fount upwells <br />On some snow-soilèd hill; <br />In infant lustihood <br />Leaps down a glancing rill.<br /><br />A white gleam streaks the plain, <br />The stream a channel graves; <br />And a dead element <br />Is conscious as it raves<br /><br />And spurts in wilding shout, <br />And frets the rival course; <br />Or frowns---this too is youth--- <br />In leaf-browed pools of scorn.<br /><br />A crystal river flows <br />Thorough the haunts of men--- <br />Alas for purity, <br />For stainless origin!<br /><br />A turbid mild expanse <br />Moves or moves not at all; <br />And nearer calls the deep, <br />And sweeter grows the call.<br /><br />A cloud-wraith flakes the sky, <br />Fresh risen from the sea; <br />And youth and age are past, <br />And soul again is free.<br /><br /><br />---Vagaries, Charles Granville, 1915, Londonmistah charley, ph.d.https://www.blogger.com/profile/06303695341246058680noreply@blogger.com