This is not beauty. Beauty can not be limited to such a simplistic and superficial view. Beauty is something much grander and much more abstract. In his poem, “Confession”, Linh Dinh supports the realism that there should not be an archetype for beauty. So what is beauty?
Both texts revel the tension between idealism and reality. Analyse and compare how this shared idea is represented in the texts and evaluate the extent to which it is impacted by the composers’ context. When does our attainable dream of love, become an idealised fantasy? The universal conceptualization of love is a subject explored throughout history and literature. Elizabeth Barrett-Browning’s sonnet sequence Sonnets from the Portugeuse, explores the experence of idealised love in the patriarchal confines of the Victorian era, juxtaposed against F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel The Great Gatsby, which comments on the unatanability of idealised love due to the corruption of the American dream.
The composition and definition of melodrama evolved up until it became a popular form in the 19th century. Perhaps the best definition of melodrama can be taken from Wilson and Goldfarb’s Living Theatre, which states, “Historically, a distinct form of drama popular throughout the nineteenth century which emphasized action, suspense, and spectacular effects; generally melodrama used music to heighten the dramatic mood. Melodrama had stock characters and clearly defined villains and heroes, and it presented unambiguous confrontations between good and evil.” (Wilson, G-7) Along with having a clear definition, one must also understand the common characteristics of the 19th century melodrama such as; music played a key factor in order to enhance the emotions of the audience or to signify specific characters. Typical melodramas also operated within an episodic form, which always included
TO LOVE OR NOT TO LOVE? “The most interesting aspects of texts written in different times is seeing the difference in what people value.” Possibly one of the best known piece of American prose fiction of its time, The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, develops an ironic but ultimately pessimistic point of view on the materialistic and superficial society presented in the 1920s which prevented the ideas of pure love. The form of a prose fiction does not have a structure which makes the novel unique. Sonnets from the Portuguese, by Elizabeth Barrett Browning, presents a more idealistic and optimistic view about love and hope. She portrays her personal voice through the use of sonnets, specifically Petrarchan.
Although he championed Greek civilization, he developed no appreciation for the achievements of the Persian Empire he opposed. He demolished one of the great powers of the ancient world without replacing it with a culture that demonstrably improved the livers of its people. In addition, his model of kingship, which exalted an aloof, militaristic, divinely inspired monarch, blended West with East but benefited neither. Finally, Alexander’s conquests, for all their brilliance, were personally motivated. Despite his love for Greek culture and his desire to fuse the Greek and Persian worlds, he never thought seriously about establishing political and economic institutions that could have helped unify a realm stretching from Macedonia to Egypt and from Greece to
Epictetus would look down on modern Western civilization for its rampant materialism -- nowadays, it seems that it requires vast amounts of money to be happy. Epictetus, however, suggested that we don't need money to be happy. In fact, he stated that we don't need any external things to be happy. He concluded that happiness results from attaining virtue and valuing only that which we can control. Happiness Follows from Virtue Epictetus asserted that while there is no inherent problem in seeking material comfort, the only true good thing is virtue because only virtue can be beneficial in all situations; thus virtue would not ever fail to bring happiness.
This gives the groundwork to the idea that nationalism is a natural thing that cannot just be stifled by humankind, but is inevitable and good for the world. Napoleon Bonaparte was the true driving force of romantic nationalism. Napoleon was able to gather the French into a nation that through the eyes of the rest of Europe were able to conquer all who opposed it. This inspired the people of Europe to bring about nationalistic movements. Romanticism paved the way for European nationalism.
Nick sought to better himself and learn from the things that he had seen and watched, he was also a very honest person. Gatsby in a notable contrast, did not do anything for society, nor was he a model citizen. He did however strive for the fulfillment of the American dream. The idea of the hero began in Greek literature. Those stories almost always, however, had romantic heros.
And this is precisely the morality of tragedy and its lesson. The discovery of the moral law, which is what the enlightenment of tragedy consists of, is not the discovery of some abstract or metaphysical quantity. (miller, common man) His problem is that he has so completely accepted the values of his society that he judges himself by standards rooted in social myths rather than human necessities. This lack of insight is strikingly similiar to traits of the tragic hero. As Aristotle’s writes, the tragic hero, “Lives for honor and fame”.
Truth, conversely, is defined as being true or real. I agree with this definition of truth as think truth relates to genuine qualities such as honesty and loyalty. Beauty cannot, in my opinion, be defined: it can be anything that one finds beautiful in life and does not by definition relate to exterior appearances. I believe that beauty relates to anything in life that makes it that much more beautiful. Beauty, to me, is confidence, happiness and a sense of humour, traits I find attractive.