Thursday, May 20, 2010
There were some lines from Whitman's poetry that provoked thought in me, but on the whole, I found myself frustrated with the ideas expressed in it. These are some of my favorite and least favorite lines and poems.
#24
"Seeing, hearing, feeling, are miracles..." (1028)
If I appreciate any line from Whitman, it's this one. How often do we cease to appreciate the everyday miracles of life? The processes of seeing, hearing, and feeling are so precious. They allow us to appreciate life. To move from merely living to being alive, but only so long as we fully appreciate them.
#51
I don't completely understand Whitman's perspective in this poem. How can he not be curious about God? It's clear that he views God as unknowable. We talked about atheism in class, but is it possible that he had views that line up with agnosticism? He seems to acknowledge that God exists, but has no interest in knowin who He is.
I suppose, based on the view of God presented in Whitman's poetry, I can see how he would not be curious about God. If he thinks that God is everywhere, is all things, and can't be known, then I guess it wouldn't even be an option to try to know him.
In this poem, Whitman says that he is the most important thing to himself. This is a different perspective than we are called to have as Christians and different that what I've been taught my entire life. I think that's why I struggle to relate to his writing. We're coming from different places; I, as someone who believes that God is intensely personal and relational, and he, as someone who believes the opposite.
It's been interesting to read poetry from a different perspective, but the difficulty I have relating to it makes it much less enjoyable than other material we've read for this course.
#24
"Seeing, hearing, feeling, are miracles..." (1028)
If I appreciate any line from Whitman, it's this one. How often do we cease to appreciate the everyday miracles of life? The processes of seeing, hearing, and feeling are so precious. They allow us to appreciate life. To move from merely living to being alive, but only so long as we fully appreciate them.
#51
I don't completely understand Whitman's perspective in this poem. How can he not be curious about God? It's clear that he views God as unknowable. We talked about atheism in class, but is it possible that he had views that line up with agnosticism? He seems to acknowledge that God exists, but has no interest in knowin who He is.
I suppose, based on the view of God presented in Whitman's poetry, I can see how he would not be curious about God. If he thinks that God is everywhere, is all things, and can't be known, then I guess it wouldn't even be an option to try to know him.
In this poem, Whitman says that he is the most important thing to himself. This is a different perspective than we are called to have as Christians and different that what I've been taught my entire life. I think that's why I struggle to relate to his writing. We're coming from different places; I, as someone who believes that God is intensely personal and relational, and he, as someone who believes the opposite.
It's been interesting to read poetry from a different perspective, but the difficulty I have relating to it makes it much less enjoyable than other material we've read for this course.
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