THE TABLES TURNED
AN EVENING SCENE ON THE SAME SUBJECT
AN EVENING SCENE ON THE SAME SUBJECT
UP! up! my Friend, and quit your books;
Or surely you'll grow double:
Up! up! my Friend, and clear your looks;
Why all this toil and trouble?
Or surely you'll grow double:
Up! up! my Friend, and clear your looks;
Why all this toil and trouble?
The sun, above the mountain's head,
A freshening lustre mellow
Through all the long green fields has spread,
His first sweet evening yellow.
Books! 'tis a dull and endless strife:
Come, hear the woodland linnet, 10
How sweet his music! on my life,
There's more of wisdom in it.
And hark! how blithe the throstle sings!
He, too, is no mean preacher:
Come forth into the light of things,
Let Nature be your teacher.
She has a world of ready wealth,
Our minds and hearts to bless--
Spontaneous wisdom breathed by health,
Truth breathed by cheerfulness. 20
One impulse from a vernal wood
May teach you more of man,
Of moral evil and of good,
Than all the sages can.
Of moral evil and of good,
Than all the sages can.
Sweet is the lore which Nature brings;
Our meddling intellect
Mis-shapes the beauteous forms of things:--
We murder to dissect.
Our meddling intellect
Mis-shapes the beauteous forms of things:--
We murder to dissect.
Enough of Science and of Art;
Close up those barren leaves; 30
Come forth, and bring with you a heart
That watches and receives.
Close up those barren leaves; 30
Come forth, and bring with you a heart
That watches and receives.
I was leafing through my romanticism book the other day, hoping to find some clues about the stance that Emerson's friends took on the subject of books and reading. I came across this poem by Wordsworth, and found it extremely relevant. Though the poem is short, it essentially argues one of Emerson's main points. "First in importance of the influences upon the mind is that of nature" (2). According to both men, nature and not books should be the driving force behind the creativity of man.
I also found the line "we murder to dissect" very interesting. This is consonant with Emerson's ideas in "the poet" about poetry being a record of failure. We will always fall short of true representation. Emerson was surely not alone in his ideas about books and poetry. In fact, it seems he was in very good company and that his friends shared similar beliefs. It is very interesting though, that two such skillful writers are so willing to acknowledge the shortcomings of their craft...
1 comment:
Oh, good find. I was actually wondering if Emerson had any contemporaries following his thoughts on books and reading in general. It makes me wonder what Eliot thought of Emerson, though, since he seemed more inclined to embrace the history and tradition aspects that come along with great books and reading.
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