A Comparison of Poems and Paintings

     Leonardo da Vinci argued that painting was the most supreme of the arts, going after poetry in particular: "if you, o poet, tell a story with your pen, the painter with his brush can tell it more easily, with simpler completeness, and less tedious to follow."  Points taken, brush-slinger.  There are advantages to painting that would seemingly make it superior.  But as we all know, taste is in the eye of the beholder.  There are things a poem can do that a painting cannot.  A poem can lead the reader's thoughts to places a painting cannot, which are sometimes places that cannot be physically represented.  Poetry is more flexible in that it can incorporate events, ideas, and relationships more fluidly, so that the reader can relate with it on a more personal level.  Rather than looking at a rigid scene, which can't be changed mentally or physically, the imagination creates a narrative in poetry, allowing it to freely create its own image(s) in the mind.  That is why a poem can evoke more complex emotions and stories than a painting can.  With a painting, you similarly have to put pieces together (if there is a narrative) in the image, so I don't really see it as simpler and less tedious to interpret.  Abstract expressionists and cubists were just as obtuse as the most difficult poets are.  Of course, these more modern painting styles did not exist in Da Vinci's time, but poetry had been around for centuries and had an incongruous evolution with painting.  He might see it differently in today's world.

    Another thing a painting can do is tell a more personal version of a story.  A painting's rigidity means it can only be seen from the artist's viewpoint.  With a poem, so many viewpoints are possible that it adds an extra dimension to interpretation; a completely mental one that only exists in the minds of each specific reader.  So when we see a painting and read a poem that both express the same story, the poem will allow the mind to conjure a more appropriate image that is relatable, while the painting is restricted to the context the artist has shown.  The advantage of the painting on this point is that it can open our minds to imagery we aren't familiar with.

The Meteors of Waste

In suspension, we are bombarded by time,

Elements that assembled over the eons,

Constructions that fragmented into objects

Through each cycle of the orbit,

Accumulating events that rained on our atmosphere,

Fused into a uniform body that disassembled history,

Churned the layers with a logician's wand.

They were reckless gods who divided the meteors,

Sent them crashing to earth in future artifacts,

Fossils of the past retracing their steps,

Centrifugal magic the moon serenaded in persuasion,

Caught in a web of particles that merged the present,

Human ruins that obfuscate the archive.

Plato's Immortality and the Missing Piece of the Soul

    Plato thought a body moving by its own will was evidence of its immortality. Because the soul moves the body, it is immortal and not the body itself. Only two things can move it; an outside force or an internal one. The internal soul is in perpetual motion, as its energy is neither created nor destroyed. It's a compelling argument that I never considered. Nothing moves the soul, not that we are aware of anyway. That is the only thing that could break the argument by its own logic. He also believed the soul had three parts: desire that motivates, spirit that competes, and intellect that reasons. He may have been the first personality theorist, for he believed everyone's souls are in balance among the three, creating individual personalities from different combinations. I find the idea lacking a critical symmetry. Based on the four elements, there would ideally be four essences of personality in classical terms. Desire is earth, spirit is fire, air is intellect, but what is water? Love; that is his missing piece of the soul. Which is ironic because he wrote about it so much. Love is what creates, in any context of the word. The soul creates relationships, works of art, modes of discovery, etc.; all based on its capacity to love.

Broome

Pearls unfurled on the western wash,
Wet tide flats draping the sunny sands,
Stromatolites multidimensional,
Shadowing the prints of dinosaurs
At the crown of Australia-
Great archivist of tectonic forces.
Camels stride the layered beach,
Waves unseen beyond the tropical shield,
Blazing sunsets that seer the margin,
Casting ambivalent light on the ocean’s reflection,
Drawing forth a stairway to the moon-
Familiar sense of oddness in a land full of it.
Out there in the deep,
Where a spirit fell trying to reach it,
The moon watches as it sinks through the bathysphere,
One aboriginal among millions before,
Sinking, sinking to the depths,
Relinquishing the cause, destined to return,
When suddenly, out of the startling darkness,
Appear millions of bioluminescent forms,
Imitating the stars that would have been seen
Had the ascension been complete.
Oceanic universe, hidden under a sea of pearls,
Forgive this trespass, for you are subconscious reality,
A theory of metaphor patient for release,
Integrating sea and air for the land to exist.

Proof Against Material Possessions

    Many believe that material possessions will make them whole, so they aspire to obtain more of them throughout their lives. The same people never feel complete because they always want more. Similarly, a glutton will hoard and constantly feed on things, aiming to fill a void in their souls, a void that can never be filled. What they don't realize is these are vain attempts to attain the limitless in a finite world. Every possession or binge is but a taste of the infinite, based on the illusion that it can be possessed. It cannot be bought or eaten for ones fulfillment; it can only be received. The greedy and the gluttonous are forever grasping for air when they don't even realize it isn't toxic. They don't realize that they want the infinite, just as anyone does, but that those who reject possessions find it in more constructive ways, like art or music or meditation. 
    The greatest problem with humans is that desires are tuned to illusion and not creation. Material attempts at reaching the infinite only prove how similar an activity it is to ascetics who have renounced worldly possessions. Those who seek the infinite inward instead of outward feel no need to gather wealth; all they need is already within their possession - the natural resources that bind the world together, not the manufactured fragments that tear it apart. Thus, it is proven by logic that material possessions are not the source of wisdom, only imaginary toys that infants play with on their journey to a higher self.

Reinventing the Holiday Calendar: A Season-Based Approach

    As the fall equinox approaches, I am reminded of the significance of the changing seasons and how they are celebrated. My wife loves decorating the house for them, so it seems a waste to be doing that when there isn't even a holiday. It begs the question, why aren't the major holidays celebrated on key seasonal days, such as the solstices, equinoxes, and the points between, as ancient Pagan cultures did in the past? 

    One reason is that religion has hijacked some (Christmas, Easter), while politics steals their thunder (4th of July), or card companies take advantage (Valentine's Day). Others are so misplaced on the calendar that you have to wonder how administrators got it so wrong (Thanksgiving). Halloween is really the only holiday that correctly synchronizes with the earth-sun relationship- Samhain is the ancient holiday it imitates, taking place every October 31. But even that holiday is glossed up inmodern extravaganzas. Let me be clear, I'm not against indulgences like Halloween, I just wish we were more consistent with them throughout the year. 

    In my approach, there are eight main holidays, each occurring on or around the key events in the earth-sun cycle. The following dates would logically be chosen for them: December 21, February 1, March 21, May 1, June 21, August 1, September 21, November 1. Notice the even distribution of holidays over the year, and how they're evenly spaced, allowing proper decorating regimens, similar to how businesses have optimal periods of keeping their seasonal shelves stocked. The names of each holiday are borrowed from ancient Pagan ones, mostly out of Ireland.

    December 21 would be Yule, the ancient tradition of the winter solstice, from which Christmas is based on. Instead of celebrating the birth of Jesus, we would celebrate the longest day of the year as the earth begins a new journey around the sun. We would have Yule trees and lights instead of Christmas ones. The mythologies of Santa, Rudolph, Frosty etc. would stand. It would be a quintessential celebration of winter, and the dawn of a new year all in one day, which might seem overwhelming. However, we must be honest with ourselves by asking why exactly the new year has to start 11 days after the solstice instead of directly on it. 

    February 1 would be Imbolc, the midway point between winter and spring, from which Groundhog Day is based on. Key rituals would be initiation and weather divination. Sporting events would be common, as this is the crux of the super bowl, NBA All-Star game, and the beginning of spring training in baseball. Award ceremonies would all be held on this holiday, such as the Oscars and Grammys, which typically occur around this time anyway. Since a lot of television would be involved, the event would probably last a week, or a few days, culminating in weather divination and Mardi Gras/Carnival parades on the last day. 

    March 21 would be equivalent to Easter, which is based on Ostara, the ancient tradition of the spring equinox. This is a time to celebrate the return of spring and the regeneration of the earth, not the resurrection of Jesus. The mythology of the Easter bunny would stand, as with all the festivities associated with it. Cultivating gardens and trees would be key rituals. There would be a sunrise mass at holy sites to symbolize the dawn of harvest season and the coming of pleasant weather, more light, and the blooming of flowers and plant regeneration, which is the true resurrection the Christians displaced.     May 1 would be Belatane, the midway point between the spring equinox and summer solstice. Taking place at the height of spring, it would be the equivalent of Valentine's Day. But to make this day particularly sacred, I would include the love of family and friends as well, adding Mother's Day and Father's Day to encompass the appreciation for everyone we love. As mid-spring is the peak of the growth season, it is only natural that a holiday of love should occur, and I have trouble reconciling February 14th with such an atmosphere. People also tend to be in optimal physical shape during this time, enhancing the celebration of attraction. I wouldn't have May Queens, as they did in ancient times, as that would inspire jealousy, but I would imagine it as the favored day for weddings out of the whole year. Attending a wedding might be the holiest ritual on this day. 

    Then we have Midsummer on June 21, a celebration of the longest day of the year and the beginning of summer. As the sun is at peak intensity, bonfires and fireworks would be common festivities. Traditional 4th of July festivities would also go here, like barbecues and parades. Camping would be a major recreational activity. A mass would involve a walk in the woods holding candles just after sunset. Light and heat are in such abundance that designing lanterns would be a personal activity to be displayed outside at sunset, similar to Easter eggs and pumpkin carving.

     August one would be Lugnasadh, the midpoint between the summer solstice and autumn equinox. Originally meant to celebrate the beginning of harvest, I would see this as more of a recreational holiday, where the outdoors are enjoyed to their fullest extent. Ballooning, boat festivals, and concerts would be an abundance. The sky would literally be full of balloons, and full of music- an incredible sight. The torch would be a key symbol, as the day would coincide with an annual Olympics, featuring the top competitors compete in each sport. While not the most holy of days, it certainly sounds the most glorious. Recent trophies for achievements would be on full display, those eternal emblems of merit. Above all, the spirit of music would prevail, as this seems to be the time of year when acoustics are optimal, mirrored by the sounds of summer crickets, owls, frogs, and most other animals. 

    September 21 is Mabon, a celebration of the fall equinox. This day is special because it marks the end of harvest. It never made sense to me why we celebrate Thanksgiving in late November; it is surely more appropriate for the first day of fall. Mabon would be the biggest feast day of the year, rich with fresh food and distant family gatherings. An activity for this holiday would be arts and crafts, as the equinox brings balance to all forms of expression, not only natural ones. The changing leaves amplify our yearning to create, putting on a canvas beautiful mixtures of color that are similar to a coniferous forest changing its leaves. 

    Finally, we come to Samhain, taking place on November 1, the holiday that completes our cycle of the earth-sun wheel. This would virtually be the same as Halloween, though I would add honoring the dead as a key element. Perhaps a visit to a graveyard to (re)decorate gravestones would be the holiest ritual, similar to how it's done on Mexico's Day of the Dead, or All Saints Day. It's an appropriate final holiday, as nature begins its long slumber over the winter, and those who have passed on are remembered. One could also reflect on the year itself, though this is typically done when the next one starts. 

    My holiday calendar is much more festive and balanced than our current one. It would bring far more revenue to people that rely on seasonal work throughout the year. Someone in the holiday industry could switch their focus every couple months, offering fresh and fun opportunities to reflect the state of the environment at any given time. My calendar is also makes more logical sense, relying on scientific events that complement spiritual ones in the cycle of life and death. In my world, we'd always be preparing for or celebrating the state of the environment, which ideally would turn more heads to its preservation.

Relibility and Falsifiability

    In science, a universally held conclusion that is disproven means that we can never be 100% sure new conclusions are correct, for the mere perception of truth does not make it so.  The prevailing paradigm of any given period, such as the Newtonian model of gravity- which held for two and a half centuries- is always vulnerable to being overturned.  That is why when we say that evidence supports a theory, we should be saying that the theory has a high probability of being correct, not that we can conclude it is a law of nature.   

    This seems to be in conflict with Hempel’s assertion that there must be at least one law of nature in the explanation of any scientific conclusion (Kitcher, 410-411).  A better way of saying this is that the laws of nature under certain parameters can be inferred through the process of induction.  Newton’s model of gravity holds true under certain parameters while Einstein’s holds true under all parameters yet known, which doesn’t necessarily make Einstein’s model a law of nature, only that it has a higher probability of being one than Newton’s.  As the number of parameters increase for any given theory being experimented on, the probability of its conclusion being proven or falsified increases.  That is why Karl Popper’s falsifiability is so important; just as conclusions that would support a theory increase as more evidence is observed, they must be capable of being disproved proportionally, otherwise they could fit the profile of every parameter.  

    Despite this seemingly nihilistic conclusion, I believe there are things in science we can know.  In our time, no scientist would deny that the Earth revolves around the sun.  Once a theory becomes validated by enough testing, it slowly becomes fact or a law on its own, by virtue of passing every test that would falsify it.  This is where I also disagree with Popper, who thought we should never stop trying to falsify a theory because we can never be completely sure that it’s true (Godfrey-Smith, 59).  There seems to come a point when falsifiability is no longer necessary, otherwise science gets bogged down by inefficiency. 

 

Godfrey-Smith, Peter.  2003.  Theory and Reality: An Introduction to the Philosophy of Science.  The University of Chicago Press, Chicago.  

Kitcher, Philip.  Explanatory Unification and the Causal Structure of the World.  APUS, Phil202 Week 2 readings, 410-505.