I am going to be teaching American Lit next year, and have been studying up on it (since I only took one Am Lit class in college, as opposed to 8 Brit Lit ones!). I found an awesome Literary History of the United States at our very own Dublin Public Library, and have been tooling down there several evenings to take notes out of it (it's reference only).
My latest excursion into literary history saw me crossing paths with William Cullen Bryant (in whom "New England found its authentic voice," by the way), who, it turns out, was fascinated by change - or, as he called it "the eternal procession of mankind." In his old age he talked about how one should approach the grave:
"Go serenely, with an unfaltering trust in 'the never-ending Flood of Years,' a trust in that 'eternal Change' which unites all men, all times, and all events in everlasting Concord."
I nearly threw up my hands and ran screaming from the library. Trust in that eternal Change?! Are you KIDDING ME?!?!??!
Silly William. (Or, more poetically, Silly Billy!)
I was reading this shortly after reliving my old glory days of anti-change-ism, brought about when I discovered that one of the beautiful maples on the front lawn had to be cut down after the ravages of last year's ice storm. I was sad. I do not like things that have been "permanent" since childhood disappearing.
I'm happy to report that it doesn't look nearly as hole-y as I was afraid it would look. The other tree does a masterful job of covering for its absence. Still, it was one of several changes that made me reflect on how much I don't like change.
Silly Billy.
And how thankful I am that I don't have to trust in change! I mean, I admit that it's very faithful in its re-occurrences (sigh), but who wants to trust in something that is painful and grim? That's like saying we should trust in death because, boy howdy, we'll all die.
I'd rather trust in something that's better than change, and better than death! Something BIGGER, and more SOLID, and... UNCHANGING.
And I do. I, Andrea Murray, have totally one-up-ed the authentic voice of New England. I guess that means I am the authentic voice of New England!
(And on that note, you'll all be glad to hear that I won't be teaching Logic next year, as a co-worker needed to add more classes...)
4 comments:
I, too, was thinking about change recently. I was discussing it with... hmmm, who was it? Ah yes: you! :)
Much as I like change on some levels, I agree completely that it's not something in which I would want to place my unfaltering trust. It's nice to have an Unchangeable God.
Poetic is definitely the first word that comes to my mind when someone says, "Silly Billy." Anything that rhymes is, of course, poetic.
Aaron, you make me laugh:) I love it!
How about "Silly Willy"?
: )
Sorry about the tree. Talk about "Change and decay in all around I see"...! It really looks much better than I was afraid it would, and I see a new beauty on the East side of the remaining maple--redemption or something, yes?
Definitely:)
Post a Comment