I read my father the Langston Hughes poem "A Suicide's Note," and made him try to guess the title and subject. ("... swimming?") Once I told him, he rolled his eyes and said it was pointless and made no sense. I, however, think it is one of the most eloquent, beautifully-stated thoughts ever to be recorded.Dad is the kind of guy who doesn't read a lot. He even forgoes instruction manuals. It's obvious why he wouldn't catch the layers of intensity in the poem.
My question to you is -- is beauty in the eye of the beholder? Or is it just a lack of knowledge that inhibits one from seeing true beauty?
My dad is the same way. He still makes fun of me because I described something as an "allegory" a long time ago.
ReplyDeleteI'm thinking that it's more the first one. Yeah, our dads might not get so much out of reading, but there have been times when I've realized that my dad finds meaning in things that I will never understand. Lack of knowledge is an impediment to an extent, but some of the best writers have had limited education. It's not necessarily what we know, but what we experience. I see the world differently from my dad, and so we appreciate different things.
Good question... I think its partly both ignorance and "eye of the beholder." On one hand, someone who isn't interested in lit/poetry/what have you, is for sure going to miss most of the meaning. however, at the same time, personal opinion also makes people affected by poems differently than others.
ReplyDelete(BTW: I too really like the Suicide's Note poem... =D )
Beauty is definitely seen only by the eyes of the beholder, which is why people dont agree on certain things (like you and your father not agreeing on the magnificence of the poem).
ReplyDeleteThis is pretty funny to me because, on Saturday I bought this movie from Giant called, earth, you might have seen previews for it if you watch the Disney channel :). Anyways, when I came home I popped right into the DVD player and watched it as if it was the greatest movie ever. Some parts actually made me cry because it was a shock to me at how beautiful nature truly is. My dad, however, came downstairs and saw me watching it and thought I was the weirdest person alive. I didn't fight him on it because it was his view, but to me, it was/is one of the most beautiful experiences ever. Remember, everybody's different.
This is one of the more interesting blog threads I have seen so far. I like how you phrased your question, Kellie, but I think you've shut the door to something very important.
ReplyDeleteWhy does the question have to exist in dichotomy? More importantly, is it the way people see the world or is it the way that people have chosen to see the world?
I mean, to be honest, if I thought that people just had different views and so on, I probably wouldn't be very good at my job. I like to think that everyone has the same capacity to appreciate literature because it speaks to the human core of us. Perhaps the Dads of the world are not uncomprehending, and maybe they are not just aloof. Perhaps they are waiting for that crystal-clear explosion of understanding and you guys, sharing your view of the subject, can help them to appreciate the art form better. Perhaps all they need is for someone to show them how valuable literature is to him or her.
Great discussion. Keep it up.
Mr. Bruno makes a good point, and of course his point comes from one of his favorite ideas, the idea of "shaping consciousness," which says that everyday experiences, the people around you, and society in general shape every person's mind and the way people process or interpret information. As I learned from my research paper last year, this idea can bring about extensive analysis and conversation about any topic, but I'll try to keep it short :)
ReplyDeleteFirst and foremost, we must define beauty. But where do we start? Beauty can be superficial, it can give some sort of deep satisfaction to the mind, or it can be simply awe-striking. Guess what? Your definition all depends on the way that your conscious mind has been shaped (figures). But I think we'll go with the definition of beauty to mean something that is greatly appreciated and gives a deep sense of satisfaction, because that's what it looks like we're talking about. Like some of you have said, the lack of seeing beauty in certain things may not be a direct result of ignorance. Instead, it might be that one person does not appreciate something that another person does simply due to a difference in experiences. However, in the case where both people experienced a similar event, they might both also appreciate that item that is questionable of having beauty. This is not because the two people are incapable of appreciating the same things, but because either person has not yet had the chance to have that type of appreciation. I feel like I’m being extremely vague and confusing, so here’s a simple scenario: A child that grows up with both his mom and dad may not place as great of a value on either parent as a child that grew up with only his mom or his dad. That is not because child 1 is incapable of understanding the value of his parents, but he simply does not yet understand. However, (God forbid), if child 1 lost his father in a car accident, he would then, more than likely begin to understand and appreciate the beauty of having a father.
Okay, not exactly short, but I think that says it.
Weather a person sees the world the way they do because they chose to or not wouldn't affect the piece of literature in itself, but how they reader, or in this case the audience, applies it to their various lives. When I read any poem I choose to make my best attempt to appreciate it and to try to understand the author's intent. On more than a few occasions I find myself frustrated that I can't personally figure out the poems message or what its suppose to mean. At that point I can see why some people tend to ignore literature or just label an entire genre as irrelevant.
ReplyDeleteOur different life experiences may have taught us some unique perspective that might give a person more insight than another. So feel free to share it so that we all may gain something important that we ourselves would like to share to others down the road. Great question btw.
Well, Kellie, I think that beauty has to be in the eye of the beholder because each person has a different definition for beauty. For a smart, intellectual person as yourself, your idea of beauty would be things that are deep and meaningful like this poem. To people like my dad (who's similar to yours), beauty would be a free twelve pack of beer. I think the amount of knowledge you have affects your definition of what is beautiful or not.
ReplyDeleteThe thought of beauty is universal, people of all races, cultures, relgions, or beliefs see some type of beauty. Yet, each person may see different things as beautiful, such as one person seeing a sunset as beautiful and another seeing sunrise as beautiful. Perspective does play a huge role in beauty.
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