Occasionally I will hear a song or read a poem that has the ability to
re-create exactly a certain feeling or mood. Through his words the
artist paints a picture with stunning clarity of a certain feeling. For example, every time I read Wilfred Owen's "Dulce et Decorum Est," I experience a certain feeling (for lack of a more precise term)--a mixture of horror at that violence that robs a person of his humanity and of sorrow at man's constant propensity toward bloodshed. A feeling or emotion that my experiences with life have created can be re-created by merely reading words on a page.
Songs and literature can do that for me. For others, a painting, a sculpture, nature, a cello piece can do the same; a compilation of words or sound frequencies or splashes of paint can communicate with amazing clarity a feeling or emotion that is universal to man or is personal to the individual. I'm still not sure how art can do that. The piece of artwork is more than the sum of its parts.
As this thought has been developing in my mind, I've been searching for a single word or phrase that captures what I've been describing: a work's ability to create a feeling or emotion that replicates a feeling or emotion created by real life. I've been fruitless thus far.
Any ideas?
Jon i've been sitting here contemplating your thoughts and though this won't help much, I've found a quote for you:
If I could say it (in) words there would be no reason to paint.
-Edward Hopper
You've given me food for thought however and if I can ever figure out how to put it in words, I'll let you know.
Gwen
good morning, jon. welcome to bloggle-earth.
i sort of knew your brother i think.
although i totally understand what you're trying to describe, i'm not at all sure how to consolidate it into concise phraseology. i'm afraid this is one of those phenomena that is just nearly impossible to describe without using the concept itself in its own definition. i'll keep thinking on it. in the meanwhile,
suggestions:
'sehnsucht'
(c.f. Lewis' SURPRISED BY JOY)
'impetus'
'wham'
'enrapture'
"searching for a single word or phrase that captures" that is a difficult proposition. I'll keep thinking.
Posted by: james micah at February 27, 2004 11:18 AMi still like "transcendant."
or perhaps the "heevies-jeevies..."
Gwen, thanks for the quote. Maybe I should start painting. Joy, you may be right. Maybe I should resign myself to the fact that the language can't possibly provide me with concise phraseology to convey single feeling I have.
Maybe when the aforementioned phenomenon happens, I'll just shout something about a "sehnsucht-impetus-wham-enraptured-heevie-jeevied-transcendental moment." Then I will boldly reply to all the questioning stares that, if they don't know what I'm talking about, I'm not going to tell them.
It was once said,"Words exist because of meaning; once you've gotten the meaning, you can forget the words. Where is a man who has forgotten words so I can have a word with him?"
Posted by: hannah at March 1, 2004 03:41 PMjon...maybe a word that isn't just a noun or an adjective. maybe a noun that implies a verb (since you're searching for a static summation of this concept that something about the piece moves you or evokes something in you). german words are nice because they can at least to verbs (for instance, "seek" and "see"). you might go greek or latin too. but english -- ? my mind is wracked trying to think of an english word.
Posted by: joy at March 2, 2004 02:03 PMtypo -
"because they can at least ALLUDE to verbs"
on the other hand, your alternative plan for creating a scene might work out pretty nicely also.
Posted by: joy at March 2, 2004 02:05 PMThis is precisely why I enjoy making up words. You can say precisely what you mean. The only problem is explaining it to others. Bummer. Circumlocution can take you only so far.
Posted by: jbo at March 2, 2004 06:22 PMI hadn't thought of using a foreign words. But for goodness sake, you'd think that a language that for the past millenium has been evolving into the whole world's lingua franca could have someone somewhere along the way coin a term to denote that little experience. Apparently not, though. Confounded bunch of Phillistines. Perhaps a foreign tongue is the key. Plus, if I use a foreign, I have the added advantage of sounding scholarly.
Posted by: slig at March 3, 2004 09:21 AMsounding scholarly is good. i always resort to latin when trying to name a piece of artwork...it can make the worst of paintings seem impressive.
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