For both men, Beauty was connected to the eternal. Socrates, being at least somewhat (and perhaps completely) atheistic, does not immediately or necessarily connect the concept of the eternal with the concept of the divine, however, but rather recognizes the inherent Beauty in the only act of immortality that mortals can engage in -- procreation and generation, which leads to "beauty in birth." The physical act of love between a man and a woman is described by Socrates -- through the voice of Diotima -- as an act of supreme beauty, and its effects are equally beautiful, as it causes immortality and hence touches upon the eternal. Beauty is also connected to love because love cannot occur with deformity; the closer a material thing comes to representing its ideal form, the more Beautiful it becomes because it is closer to touching the eternal.
This argument in some ways celebrates material beauty, though only insofar as it connects to eternal Beauty. Plotinus sees this connection also, but departs from Socrates in his recommendation to any capable man to "let him arise and withdraw into himself, foregoing all that is known by the eyes, turning away for ever from the material beauty that once made his joy...he must know them for copies, vestiges, shadows, and hasten away towards That they tell of." Plotinus believes that true Virtue -- which is itself Beautiful -- is best attained not by recognizing the presence of the Divine in material beauty, but by turning away from these imperfect representations.
Plotinus carries this argument to its logical extremes, insisting that the Soul must be made Beautiful (by becoming...
Beauty's totality, therefore, is much more than qualities that one can see or perceive with the senses. Yet perhaps the most enduring aspect of beauty and its true value to the world and beyond lies in its capacity to foster love. Quite simply, beauty is loved, and love, at the same time, is certainly beautiful. Walker comes to this conclusion at the end of her essay, in which her low
Nature in Wordsworthian Poetry William Wordsworth was an English poet who became renowned for his Romanticist type of poetry during the 18th- early 19th centuries. Through this time period, Wordsworth have became known for formulating his own theory on poetry, referred to as the "Unconventional Theory of Poetry," wherein he stated that "poetic truth is the direct experience of the senses." Along with this principle, Wordsworth believed that poetry is also
Baudelaire's poem makes clear that beauty is actually closer to a form of death, acting like a drug that poisons one's mind, creates addiction and finally brings one closer to death. The very title of the book of poems the flowers of Evil which associates the flower, a conventional representation of beauty with "evil," announces a different kind of poetic testimony. Examining Baudelaire's volume of poems, Marcel a Ruff points
It is the character's inner nature that eventually triumphs in its fight with the environment. Goethe's main character is apparently obsessed with the fact that he is human, especially given that his point-of-view regarding the topic is that people are predisposed to losing their control at a certain moment in their lives. Emerson wants his readers to learn more about the benefits that the surrounding environment provides them with. He
Sally Mann's portfolio abounds of photographs of little girls, including here photographs such as the New Mothers and Sorry Game. All these, as the Easter Dress, are in black and white. In my opinion, the choice for black and white is an attempt by this modern artist to move the viewer's attention away from coloration and into the game of shapes and forms. If we compare this photograph with Dine's
Wolf did not choose this word arbitrarily. She is well aware of it portents and the fact that it is loaded with meaning for women, albeit unconsciously for many. It is guilt she is attempting to highlight for them, and guilt that she attempting to free them from by pointing out that its source is both external and patriarchal. Ironically, she adds yet another layer of guilt whilst doing
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