Poetry is not exactly my favorite topic, but, i do love the way it opens the mind to different ways of thinking. After the discussions about the first half of the City of Eclogue, i found myself writing in my notebook. it seemed so natural, that i decided to revisit a place in my book that i had basically written myself into a corner, to my utter amazement, ideas flowed through my mind and i was easily able to answer a question that i had myself stumped with. This is the reason i enjoy poetry, the abstract ideas and concepts, that after discussing, the mind is running on different pathways and i cannot begin to describe to you how amazing it felt to feel that understanding flow through me.
A few passages from the book really caught my eye, and piqued my interest. I want to begin with Page 41. i found the entire section of "Beauty's Standing" enlightening and mind opening. but i must say page 41 would be my favorite part of this whole section. i love how Roberson discusses the topics of Artificial vs. Natural beauty and how he so skillfully and elegantly shows how the media's ideas of beauty are corrupting the true beauty that is natural. "Into land people pour into to colonize as artificial reef is sunk next to dying corals on the sea floor" as artificial reef is sunk next to dying corals on the sea floor. That just about blew my mind. such a beautiful representation of how the human race is killing beauty in pursuit of beauty, and how utterly pointless is seems from that angle. Amazing. it's depressing how people's ideas of beauty are so warped my modern life that they can't even understand why beauty is beautiful anymore.
another section i would like to call into focus is page 46, again from the section "Beauty's standing". "Family values were always a disguise to hide the value a following had, to the families positioned to live outside values not profitable, to their Olympiad-- despite the toll-- values = mere votes for their pull." with the election upcoming, one can't help but see political advertisements all over the place. every candidate saying how they are going to do what is right for the people and how families matter to them. and every candidate saying how their competitors are unfit for the job. a big example that comes to mind is the accusations a while ago that Obama was a Muslim, and how absolutely horrible that was. people are looking for someone to lead them, something out of the ordinary (change), yet they are going to put down a man based solely on religion. and yet, Roberson goes to the heart of politics and the seedy underbelly that everyone sees, but no one wants to believe: politicians are going to say what they think you want to hear, in order to get votes. that is their motive. everyone has a motive for what they do, and looking too deeply into things like politics can without a doubt drive a man to deep depression, it is depressing. but as my government teacher said: it takes a power hungry politician to keep the other power hungry politicians in check. i believe Roberson used politicians as an easy target for his example, but what some people fail to see is, everybody has a motive for doing what they do, and it is not always what it seems.
great, well done.
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