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Literature and imagination
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Recommended: Literature and imagination
Copernicus, Galileo and Hamlet
If imagination is the lifeblood of literature, then each new scientific advance which extends our scope of the universe is as fruitful to the poet as to the astronomer.
External and environmental change stimulates internal and personal tropes for the poetic mind, and the new Copernican astronomy of the late 16th- and early 17th-centuries may have altered the literary composition of the era as much as any contemporaneous political shifts. Marjorie Nicolson, in "The Breaking of the Circle," argues that the heliocentric system greatly influenced the metaphysical poets, especially John Donne, as it necessarily mated the concept of a universal macrocosm with the preexisting notions of a personal microcosm and earthbound geocosm. Nicolson claims that the Elizabethans, Shakespeare included, failed to apply the new motion of heavenly bodies to their own bodies of work, and that their obsolete cosmology confers obsolescence upon their literary endeavors.
I will argue that Hamlet, written in the aftermath of Copernicus's De Revolutionibus and Tycho Brahe's cosmological observations, not only follows many of Nicolson's tenets for the metaphysical poetry of the time, but stands as a central metaphor for the ambiguous period between Copernicus's initial theories and Galileo's visual proofs in Sidereus Nuncius. The conflict of Hamlet is the geocentric pitted against the heliocentric; Hamlet the "son/Sun" must revenge his Hyperion father's death by deposition of his traitorous and swinish uncle from the English throne, the center of the action and royally emblematized through the Sun. But the addition of the macrocosmic/heliocentric view to Hamlet's preexisting microcosmic‹that is, self-centered or, to use a word that rings of etymological irony, solipsistic‹obsessions does not make for a happy marriage; rather, the two spheres, representing externality and internality, stall Hamlet's geocentric development‹earthly, physical action. Hamlet's legendary propensity to delay stems not from a mere excess of thought but from a divisive thought process that clouded Shakespeare's times: its fractured and debated cosmology. As Nicolson postulates, "'Correspondence' between macrocosm and microcosm, which man had accepted as basic to faith, was no longer valid in a new mechanical universe and mechanical world" (Nicolson, xxi).
In Nicolson's eyes, King Lear reflects Shakespeare's preoccupation with the new cosmology more in astrological than astronomical terms: "Disruption in the heavens presaged disruption upon earth, the storms of the geocosm paralleled those in the microcosm, but our attention and Shakespeare's is centered on Lear, the man, rather than on the world and the universe" (Nicolson, 149).
At the beginning of the novel, Johnny Tremain, Johnny was very proud. Proverbs 8:13 says, “When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.” In the story, the proud youth slowly learned this lesson. In the opening, Johnny refused to be friends with the other apprentices, Dove and Dusty. He felt as if he was too good for them although he knew he could easily become their friends, for it says on page five that, “He knew his power and reveled in it. He could have easily made friends with Dove, for Dove was lonely and admired Johnny as well as envied him. Johnny preferred to bully him.” Dove was fed-up with Johnny’s boastful attitude, so when Johnny was constructing a sugar basin and asked Dove to get him a crucible, Dove gave him a cracked one...
Boyle, Kay. "Astronomer's Wife." Responding to Literature: Stories, Poems, Plays, and Essays. Fourth Edition. Ed. Judith A. Stanford. Boston: McGraw-Hill, 2003. 619-623.
In 1632, Galileo Galilei published his book "Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World Systems." As innocent as this may seem, the implications that were associated with the publishing of the book were soon evident. In the time prior to the publishing of the book, Galileo had been warned several times not to publish it by the Catholic Church.
As his career continued, Bellini became known for his landscapes and naturalistic depiction of light. Giovanni founded the Venetian school of painting, and lived to see his students succeed and even some of them become more famous than he himself was. His life ended in Venice in 1516, but his contributions to Renaissance art would live forever. Bellini brought a new level of realism and nature to art, innovative subject matter, and a new sensuousness in both form and color. Giovanni’s personal attitudes and styles predetermined the special nature of Venic...
Artistic styles are constantly changing. Incidentally, most famous artists tend to be masters of a specific style of art. Every period of art is influenced by the former periods, creating a blurred line where the periods end and beginning. The artists who work in between two distinct periods create a noteworthy blend of both styles. One such artist, Giovanni di Paolo, worked with influences from both the Medieval and Renaissance periods. Medieval and Renaissance art are completely different styles, but Paolo worked to create his own style that fused the two. Medieval art describes the period spanning from Early Christian art all the way to Gothic art. With so many different styles included in this span, come different standards. Paolo focuses on perspective, which was one of the elements that began in Medieval art, but was perfected in Renaissance art. The Renaissance occurred in Europe as literally the rebirth of classical Greek and Roman ideals. Typical early Renaissance art incorporates perspective and realism (Kleiner). Paolo was born at the end of the Medieval period, and although his influences are unknown, it can be inferred that Medieval masters along with Early Renaissance learning influenced him (Damiani). The Medieval and Renaissance periods lasted a significant amount of time, and their overlap is relatively small, but this is when Paolo thrived. Artists were becoming independent artists with individual techniques instead of artisans. Throughout his career, Paolo painted book illuminations as well as panel paintings. Although Renaissance art marked a decline in sacred art, Scenes from the life of St. John the Baptist are a series of six panels that show Paolo’s developing style. Included in these is figure one, St. Joh...
Both “Astronomer” and “Tables” take the same stance on science and nature; nature is a better teacher than science and both cannot coexist naturally. Although these poems have
It is hard to argue that the enlightenment does not heavily impact our lives today; and without the philosophers and scientists of that time, the world would be a completely different place. Galileo, a scientist, philosopher, and writer, was hugely important to our society’s advancement. With his advances in astronomy and the study of physics alone, he played a major role in our society’s advancement. However, even more important were his ideals that helped bring on the enlightenment and change the course of history.
Three mindfulness interventions scored the highest through a meta-analysis. The three are mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR), exposure-based cognitive therapy for depression (EBCT), and acceptance-based behavioral therapy (ABT). Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR). It is a person centered experimental and educational group intervention for participants to live more adapted lives (Klainin & Creedy, 2012). It uses mindfulness training, not judging, patience, beginner's mind, trust, non-striving, acceptance, and letting go. It is an eight-week program that involves mindfulness meditation focusing on moment-to-moment awareness with nonreactive and non-judgmental attitudes. Hatha yoga, body scan, and sitting meditation are several different types of meditations participants practice with this intervention. Exposure based cognitive therapy for depression focuses on creating a healthy lifestyle (Klainin & Creedy, 2012). The EBCT has three phases: stress management, activation/exposure, and consolidation and positive growth. Acceptance based behavioral therapy (ABT) emphasizes on promoting present moment awareness, encouraging acceptance, learning practicing adapted skills, and engaging in actions. The program aims to maintain and enhance adaptive behaviors by using self-monitoring, mindfulness exercise, behavioral assignments, and psychoeducation (Klainin & Creedy,
Mindfulness is an ordinary cultivatable cognitive ability related to the well-being of psychology in both the adults and young people. It is characterized by the consciousness and approval of current opinion, emotions, and physical sensation (Bien and Beverly 2003). Mindfulness is intentionally developed using a secular method borrowed from the meditation practices of the Buddhists (Emet 2012). Mindfulness meditation training programs have been familiar to the adults and the small extent to children and young people. However, after realizing that it would be helpful to young people by promoting their social and emotional helping and improve their academic performance, a mindfulness meditation training program have become a priority
Manning, John. "Symbola and Emblemata in Hamlet." New Essays on Hamlet. Ed. Mark Thornton Burnett and John Manning. New York: AMS Press, 1994. 11-18.
In 1610 he was one of the first people to use the telescope to observe
Meditation is an age-old practice that has renewed itself in many different cultures and times. Despite its age, however, there remains a mystery and some ambiguity as to what it is, or even how one performs it. The practice and tradition of meditation dates back thousands of years having appeared in many eastern traditions. Meditation’s ancient roots cloud its origins from being attributed to a sole inventor or religion, though Bon, Hindu, Shinto, Dao, and later, Buddhism are responsible for its development. Its practice has permeated almost all major world religions, but under different names. It has become a practice without borders, influencing millions with its tranquil and healing effects.
Shakespeare’s Hamlet is arguably one of the best plays known to English literature. It presents the protagonist, Hamlet, and his increasingly complex path through self discovery. His character is of an abnormally complex nature, the likes of which not often found in plays, and many different theses have been put forward about Hamlet's dynamic disposition. One such thesis is that Hamlet is a young man with an identity crisis living in a world of conflicting values.
...ant to prepare physically and emotionally when stepping into retirement. The article Older Americans Employment And Retirement, mentions the balance in which the transition of being a worker to have a life of more relax and enjoying life from other perspective, “If retirement is anticipated as a desirable life transition or stage under one’s personal control, labor force withdrawal can be seen as a respite from work, providing freedom to pursue other activities or interests, thus promoting their health and well-being”(90).
The perfection of Hamlet’s character has been called in question - perhaps by those who do not understand it. The character of Hamlet stands by itself. It is not a character marked by strength of will or even of passion, but by refinement of thought and sentiment. Hamlet is as little of the hero as a man can be. He is a young and princely novice, full of high enthusiasm and quick sensibility - the sport of circumstances, questioning with fortune and refining on his own feelings, and forced from his natural disposition by the strangeness of his situation.