1) "the caprices of the 405."
The first thing that came to mind when I saw this assignment was this simple phrase I saw in a book of essays I was reading a week ago. One of these essays was about how a kid from Inglewood had to catch a bus to get to a good school on the other end of L.A. I love the phrase because it very succinctly puts how a citizen can view something partially of his own creation as capricious. Quality.
2) related phrases: "the luxuriant growth of objects" and "America's remarkable ability to sustain demand"
These come from a couple of economics texts that I have been reading, and the assumptions behind these two phrases are incredible. The first makes huge (but realistic) assumptions about the things that underpin our economic growth, and the second, speaks of our supposed savior from a horrible recession. They just reminded me that the way in which so many people write about our world is frightening.... I will refrain from any further ranting at this point (it very much digresses from poetry).
3) Actual poetry. Perhaps my favorite poem of all time:
Know then thyself, presume not God to scan
The proper study of mankind is man.
Placed on this isthmus of a middle state,
A being darkly wise, and rudely great:
With too much knowledge for the sceptic side,
With too much weakness for the stoic's pride,
He hangs between; in doubt to act, or rest;
In doubt to deem himself a God, or beast;
In doubt his mind and body to prefer;
Born but to die, and reas'ning but to err;
Alike in ignorance, his reason such,
Whether he thinks to little, or too much;
Chaos of thought and passion, all confus'd;
Still by himself, abus'd or disabus'd;
Created half to rise and half to fall;
Great lord of all things, yet a prey to all,
Sole judge of truth, in endless error hurl'd;
The glory, jest and riddle of the world.
The proper study of mankind is man.
Placed on this isthmus of a middle state,
A being darkly wise, and rudely great:
With too much knowledge for the sceptic side,
With too much weakness for the stoic's pride,
He hangs between; in doubt to act, or rest;
In doubt to deem himself a God, or beast;
In doubt his mind and body to prefer;
Born but to die, and reas'ning but to err;
Alike in ignorance, his reason such,
Whether he thinks to little, or too much;
Chaos of thought and passion, all confus'd;
Still by himself, abus'd or disabus'd;
Created half to rise and half to fall;
Great lord of all things, yet a prey to all,
Sole judge of truth, in endless error hurl'd;
The glory, jest and riddle of the world.
Brian, I am pretty sure I have sent this to you before, but I supposed I would put it out again, as it still sums up many of my ponderings about mankind. So many great little adjectives in there, perhaps a few too many, but I still love it.
1 comment:
Have you read the whole piece? I thought it was just this stanza but apparently there's three more... I like it more now than I used to.
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