The quote discussed last class, "We murder to dissect" reminds me of the poem we read for tomorrow, "When I heard the Learn'd Astronomer" because they both seem to remind us not to lose that sense of wonder in the face of greatness, whether it is nature's greatness or literary greatness. We are taking this class to learn how to dissect texts and glean meaning from them, but I think it is important not to forget how to "look up in perfect silence at the stars" and enjoy a text without having to take it apart. Sometimes enjoyment and wonder come from dissection and learning about possible, deeper meanings, but satisfaction can also come from the unknown, of not knowing what is happining, of being open to this uncertainty. As Albert Einstein says: "The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and all science. He to whom this emotion is a stranger, who can no longer pause to wonder and stand rapt in awe, is as good as dead: his eyes are closed."
This semester I hope to learn a great deal about analyzing texts but I also am excited to experience these works and merely "stand rapt in awe" at their greatness.
That's a great poem. "When I heard the Learn'd Astronomer" brought up the great idea that we need to learn by our own experience as well. We need to explore things on our own to find out what they mean to us personally. Reading just for the enjoyment of it is something I want to work on too this term.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you brought up the topic of awe. There is something aesthetic, and sometimes spiritual, about that level of appreciating literature (which can be lessened by rationalizing the whole thing with analysis). Next Winter I'm teaching a course called "The Literature of Awe," and I'm collecting good examples. Thanks for the Einstein quote.
ReplyDeleteTo press the spiritual angle of literature even further, I encourage you to read or listen to a speech I gave about Mormonism, creativity, and new media. I base this on a quote that a church leader in my area made: "The door of worship turns upon the hinge of awe" (http://bit.ly/Burton-awe)
I found this poem an interesting beginning to a course that is going to be based on interpreting literature. I enjoyed it as a reminder that though we may need to analyze, we also may simply enjoy.
ReplyDeleteIt's never been hard for me to simply love literature. Critiquing it, on the other hand, is going to take some training. But I like both. I feel like literary criticism is putting words to our awe. It's our useable feedback to the authors who we so much love. So that they can continue to surprise us. To use a classic Preach My Gospel quote, "It is true intelligence for a man to take a subject that is mysterious and great in itself, and to unfold and simplify it so that a child can understand it." (President John Taylor) As literary critics, our subject is our very own awe.
ReplyDeleteDanielle, I loved your response and the quote from PMG. And by stating that our subject as critics is our very own awe--wow, some deep though there. Nice!
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