Sydney on "Prufrock"

Sydney believed poetry is an imitation of nature. I think "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock" does a good job of giving a bit of insight into human nature. The awkwardness and self-consciousness displayed by Prufrock in the poem is a good imitation of what many people feel around the opposite sex in the real world. Sydney also believed poetry should teach a moral lesson. I don't think "Prufrock" teaches any kind of moral lesson, especially if Prufrock's intentions are purely sexual. I think Sydney would probably frown upon this poem because of it's lack of a clear moral message, even though it is a clear imitation of nature.

Chapters 9 and 10

Scholasticism and humanism are a little confusing to me. I know that they differ in how each one views poetry, but I can't see how else the two are related. Aquinas's theory of trancendentals is even more confusing. Hopefully I'll understand these concepts better by the end of class.

The Medieval Era/Augustine

Something that was interesting to me about this reading is the fact that early Christianity fought with itself so much. There were several sects of Christianity that would disagree with each other. Eventually, Church councils were formed and Christianity became one, which allowed it to preserve unity in the former Roman empire.

I agree with Augustine's and Cicero's view that "an eloquent man must speak so as to teach, to delight, and to persuade." I believe you must have all three of those things to be an effective speaker or writer. I think it's interesting that Augustine believes that teaching, or giving the clear truth, is the most important of the three. Augustine believes that the naked truth alone can entertain and persuade an audience. This is in contrast to Cicero, who believed in the importance of style.

Things that move me/Sublime

Things that move me
1. song - "Bloodmeat" by Protest the Hero
2. Marlon Brando's reading of "The Hollow Men" by T.S. Eliot
3. movie - "The Pursuit of Happyness"
4. song - "Goodnight Kiss" by Dream Theater

One thing in my life that could be considered sublime is the song "Bloodmeat" by Protest the Hero. I first heard the song last January or February and haven't really stopped listening to it since, either on the CD, internet, or in my head. When I went to see Protest the Hero on Warped Tour this year, "Bloodmeat" was the first song they played, and I thought I was going to pass out from the excitement. I think this fits Longinus's description of the sublime because it has created a lasting effect on my memory (the song is playing in my head as I type this). It has also caused emotional effects; I got chills the first few times I heard it, and when I saw the band play the song live, I didn't care that I hadn't had anything to eat or drink the entire time I was there. I also didn't worry about the fact that I had pretty much run out of money by that point in the weekend. At that moment, it was all about me enjoying the song.

I think the thing that makes the song take me out of myself is the fact that this band wrote a song that I had been wanting to listen to for a long time, even if I didn't realize it at first. As a guitar player, I love listening to guys go nuts and play guitar and drums super-fast and make really complex music. However, that kind of music really isn't easy to listen to. Protest the Hero managed to write a really complex and technical song but also make it very melodic and easy to sing along to. There is also a problem with these kinds of technical bands taking themselves too seriously. Listening to this song makes you think the guys in the band are just a bunch of fun-loving dudes who aren't too worried about how scary or evil their heavy metal band is, though they still manage to create sublime music.

Longinus

The concept of "sublime" is one that really hit home for me. As a musician (albeit not a great one), I am constantly trying to write music that has "a lasting and repeated effect," leaving the listener with a "stubborn and indelible" memory of the music. Longinus believes the truly sublime pleases everyone all the time, which I believe is a virtual impossibility when it comes to anything in the world, especially music or literature. Even the most popular song or piece of literature ever made will have its detractors especially since there are so many more genres and styles than there were in Longinus's time. I think sublimity is probably something that will only ever exist in theory, though artists and writers will surely never stop trying to achieve the truly sublime.