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Perspective
Why is Literature
Indispensable for Human Life?
by TA Ramesh
One World, Idea of Utopia
in Literature
 Not
satisfied with the religious ideas and not also convinced with the
philosophic interpretation of truth people seek consolation, asylum and
satisfaction in Literature which pleases and instructs simultaneously
with valuable ideas on human life, human love, human nature and
humanism. Also, literature does the work of humanization of the vast
advancement of modern knowledge which was previously beyond the reach of
humanity. Now the magic spell of literature is the idea of Utopia – One
World, which has the capacity to solve all the problems of mankind, is
ruling the minds of men all over the world. For the keen and rational
minded people criticism of human life, social life, nature, religious
literatures, God, etc. in literature show truth and gives convincing
guidance for satisfactory living in the world. In this respect the study
of literature indeed makes one a good intellect.
Humanism, the Message of Literature
Whether heaven or hell is there or not the world we know is surely
there. Whether it is an illusion or idea in the larger sense the world
is a reality as long as we are alive there. What is most valuable and
important here is not merely knowledge and civilization but love and
culture the sustaining force of life in the world. What is important
here is surely not animalism nor even spiritualism or divinity but only
humanism which is the mark of greatest value for human beings and is the
message of literature for mankind.
Instinct and Intellect
It is a fact that though man lives by instinct he progresses only by
intellect. Civilization began with the development of intellect in man.
So many changes took place in him. Now for everything man depends upon
knowledge first. In animals instinct over shadows intellect. But in man
intellect overshadows instinct. Among animals, monkey is considered to
be superior in faculties. Rat is one of the smallest animals. By
instinct rat indulges in sexual activities, whereas monkey learns sexual
act only by copying from other animals. This is a scientific observation
which informs the power of instinct is higher in rat than in monkey.
Naturally the power of intellect is highest and the power of instinct is
lowest in man. Therefore only by knowledge man comes across what sex is
all about. When this is so with sex, what do we say about love, the
highest form of human expression? Indeed it is a complicated thing and
about this Aldous Huxley talks in detail in his Essays in Texts and
Pretexts. So, to know what love is, it seems knowledge in literature
is a must for everyone.
Love, Knowledge for Freedom
Apart from the love between man and women from the love of material
things, abstract things, etc. the enhancement or the decrease of human
values can be ascertained. When we are reading the works of poets,
philosophers, intellectuals, we can understand very well where their
love lies. For example if we read the works of Keats, Wordsworth,
Shelley, Shakespeare, Milton, Spinoza, Jesus and Machiavelli, we can
understand what love of beauty, Nature, liberty, perfection, greatness,
intellect, love and power is respectively. From this we can say that
love means devotion, desire, natural inclination and interest, which is
the beginning for everything and without which nothing can be achieved
in the world. This kind of love is the best diversion from tension,
anxiety, worries and fear for anyone towards attaining a sense of relief
or freedom. Actually by this way only intellect of man might have
improved and overcome all kinds of fear. In this respect knowledge of
this nature independently or through education is needed for all for
getting freedom in the real sense.
Human Culture, the Expression of Literature
Animals don’t lead a determined or planned way of living. But the life
of human being is entirely different. From experience man learns a lot,
gains knowledge out of it and gets wisdom as time passes on. From the
usual activities he forms a routine for himself. In the routine life he
follows a system without affecting the privileges, rights and liberties
of other people or society. In the routine life he covers all aspects of
human needs such as food, clothing, shelter, education, work,
entertainment, arts, music, books, Nature, God, etc. and tries to
achieve harmonious human perfection or a satisfying completion in life
and this sort of living only is usually expressed in literature as human
culture. Culture differentiates and ennobles human being from others.
Synthesis of Love and Knowledge for Freedom, Joy, Peace and Satisfaction
Knowledge, wealth and power are needed for the world life. Anyone of the
three alone cannot solve and fulfill problems and commitments of life.
But without knowledge other resources cannot be wisely utilized for the
betterment of oneself or the world. With high knowledge, power may be
gained but human perfection cannot be achieved. Therefore according to
Robert Browning by the synthesis of love and knowledge only perfection
of individual soul can be achieved. Also, according to Matthew Arnold
harmonious human perfection can be achieved only by culture, since
culture is nothing but the “love for and the study of perfection” in
thoughts, words and deeds.
It is a fact that human efforts in the field of science and technology,
wonderful expressions in literature and religious services are various
ways of doing works not for material benefits or recognition but for
spiritual satisfaction. Further freedom got from the synthesis of love
and knowledge leading towards perfection only helps man to enjoy life
with joy, peace and satisfaction. In addition to that the main aspects
of human nature such as the sense of goodness, beauty and truth are also
fulfilled by way of culture and more than anything else the best thing
to do in the world is to pass on such knowledge of culture to others
generation after generation.
Knowledge, Vision, Ambition and Achievement
In general getting knowledge through education, doing a suitable job to
accrue wealth, enjoying the pleasures of life by indulging in
entertainment after work and devoting retirement life in spiritual
pursuits in order to satisfy spiritual needs are the usual or settled
way of living for all the people. But human nature is such that not
satisfied with what man inherently has, tries for completion in life
aspiring high due to his mind to break his limitations and achieves
perfection in order to have a change in evolution. Just acquiring
knowledge is not enough for one to become powerful to solve all problems
of life and attain perfection and liberation.
Intellectually musing over things of life, man, world, Nature, etc., one
is sure to get visions, dreams, ideas, etc. quite institutional in
nature of the past, the present and the future. Without such dreams or
visions one cannot become an ambitionist to lead a happy and successful
life. In fact ambition is the driving force that helps to overcome
hardships and difficulties and turn a dull and insipid life into an
interesting and noble one because of its inspiring power that gives the
hope that life is worth living at least to know the noble things of life
if not to achieve noble things in the world for oneself or for others.
Therefore it is clear that ambition based on intellectual Vision will
certainly fructify into a noble achievement which we see in the great
works of literature in the world. For example the poetic works of Robert
Browning, W.B. Yeats and William Wordsworth can be quoted.
Browning – Synthesis of Love and Knowledge for Perfection
At first Browning thought that the end and aim of life is attaining
power by acquiring highest knowledge. He realized that knowledge can
only be a means to reach the mind of God but with love, which is the
creative cause of Universe and God itself, it is possible to touch the
infinite power between God and man. So, with the synthesis of knowledge
and love perfection of man can be achieved. Therefore the purpose of
life is to achieve perfection in life through love, art, music,
paintings, poetry, etc. if not in the world at least in heaven since
“arc” here is “full circle in heaven.” If perfection is achieved here
itself what is the use of the existence of a heaven at all? Hence the
highest ideal for man could be only perfection in art, music, poetry,
love, soul, etc. Even if the forces spoil the efforts towards
perfection, highest goal or ideals should not be relinquished for
earthly pleasures or material or trivial things, as failure to achieve
perfection is not so important for God as the care, devotion and efforts
involved for the achievement of lofty or noble ideals. This philosophy
of life can be seen in many of his poems such as Abt Vogler, The Ride
Together, Andre Del Sarto, etc.
Yeats – Vision, Map of Inner Life
Man’s thoughts, knowledge, love and life are bounded by space and time
of the world and he is born to deal with the problems connected with it
and die. There is no escape from it and this is his destiny. If he
escapes he may reach a timeless and formless pure state of perfection in
the other world. The Vision of W.B. Yeats is all about that,
which he symbolically expresses as a spiralling cone with the broad base
representing the mortal life of man and apex representing the spiritual
life of man. The map of his inner life, philosophy and religion is his
vision, basing which he wrote mostly all of his poems. Among them
Sailing to Byzantium and Byzantium are the simple,
philosophic and difficult master pieces nobody can fail to quote. For
John Keats heard melodies are sweet but unheard melodies are sweeter.
But for W.B. Yeats unheard melodies may be sweeter but the heard
melodies are always sweet. Especially Sailing To Byzantium is
expressed as the realized views of an old man who is about to die.
Sensuous Animate Nature and Permanence of Spiritual Art
The old man in this poem faces the problems of old age, death and
regeneration and finally gives his decision. He says that this world is
not for the old but for the young only. Here young lovers, birds on the
tree and fishes of the sea, ‘Fish, flesh or fowl,” etc. sing songs in
praise of mortal sensual song without caring for the ageless intellect
or wisdom, which is treated as monuments only. Here animate nature is
devoid of spirit or spiritually passive. On the other hand the old man
is both physically and spiritually impotent, a mere paltry thing, an
effigy, tattered cloth upon a stick. But he realizes that all the
monument like things are teaching him the magnificence of soul.
He rejoices by this realization and sails to Byzantium, the world of
spirit. There he prays for the sages of God’s holy fire, the singing
masters to descend spinning in a circular motion to relieve the soul
from the body by burning the heart with the holy fire without leaving it
in the dead body so that the desire in it for sensual passion shall be
totally eradicated and then the soul released from the natural thing can
take birth not in the body form of some neutral thing but in the
external form of an art. He wants the goldsmith to make him into a
golden bird on the golden bough to sing the song of eternity to the
Emperor (poet), lords and ladies of Byzantium (his native place)
praising the eternal spiritual love forever. Yeats simply says through
this poem that the animate nature is devoid of spirit and temporary only
but the inanimate art, poetry created by him is full of spirit and is
immortal and permanent.
Wordsworth – Mysticism in Nature, A System of Philosophy
After Shakespeare and Milton, the poet who has settled well deep in the
heart is William Wordsworth. He has established for Nature a unique
place and a Universal appeal in his poems in literature which no one has
superseded and surpassed so far in the world. Generally poets depict the
beauty of Nature or show the similarities between the different moods of
men and the sound, the fury, the gentility, etc. of Nature. But in the
case of Wordsworth, Nature itself seems to have expressed everything for
him through his pen like a benign teacher does to a good student. Indeed
the knowledge Wordsworth gained from Nature by his eyes, ears, through
his sense-perception and his thought conception helped him to develop
his inner Self in Nature can be seen in his poems such as Tintern
Abbey, Ode: Intimations of Immortality Recollected From Childhood,
The Prelude and so on.
His feeling and thought, the growth of his mind rather the development
of his inner life from the childhood up to 28 years is expressed in The
Prelude which is in fact a spiritual autobiography of Wordsworth in the
Epic form. Actually he planned to write about Man, Nature and Society in
The Recluse for which The Prelude was written as an introduction. But
the Recluse was not written and so, The Prelude was revised and
corrected into complete piece by itself. Perhaps what was left by
Wordsworth might be continued to the end by some poet in the future to
give a system of philosophy he was trying to achieve! However with the
two smaller poems, Tintern Abbey and Immortality Ode, the genius of
Wordsworth can be appreciably judged. That to the spontaneous expression
of Tintern Abbey itself composed without any alteration within 4 or 5
days on his journey from Tintern Abbey via Wye to Bristol clearly
distinguishes Wordsworth’s different phases of love for Nature.
Blessed Mood or Intuitional Mood in Nature Far Superior than Books and
Philosophies
Nature was everything for Wordsworth. Indeed the knowledge he has gained
that has embedded deep in his memory and the joy and pleasure he has
enjoyed by his own sense experience in nature and due to that blessed
mood or the state of visionary trance or the intuitional mood he had of
his inner self and the life of things around him are far more superior
and rarest than he could have gained from school, college, books and the
philosophic ideas through his friend, S.T. Coleridge has compensated
many a time for all the losses he had suffered in life whenever he
recollected it in tranquility and made him the most happiest person more
than anybody else in the world! Tintern Abbey, a typical poem is the
junction of his mood, interest and pursuit of life of the past and the
future with regard to his attitude and the influence of Nature, in which
his instinct, emotion, intellect, intuition and mysticism have combined
together in such an inseparable measure that it is very difficult to
deal with it fully by all.
Animal Pleasure
Introspective and lonely by nature, at first the early loss of his
parents when he was at school, he sought not the company of his fellow
beings but only the company of Nature where many a time he was in a
state of trance for a considerable time. During the holidays and
vacation times he joyfully indulged in coarser or boyish or animal
pleasure in Nature by climbing mountains, skating, boating, swimming,
horse riding, walking etc.
“I
came among these hills; when like a roe
I bound o’er the mountains, by the sides
Of the deep rivers, and the lonely streams,
Wherever nature led; more like a man
Flying from something that he dreads than one
Who sought the thing he loved. For nature then
To me was all in all.”
Aesthetic Pleasure in
Nature
Later on until the age of 23 or so he was passionately in love with the
beautiful objects or shapes of nature and enjoyed aching joy and dizzy
rapture to the extent that he was in the state of a blessed mood by
which he could be alive in sleep and also dead while awake in order to
explore his inner self and the life of the things around him in nature.
... ”The
sounding cataract
Haunted me like a passion: the tall rock,
The mountain, and the deep and gloomy wood,
Their colours and their forms, were then to me
An appetite; a feeling and a love,
That had no need of a remoter charm,
By thought supplied, nor any interest
Unborrowed from the eye, – That time is past.
And all its aching joys are now no more,
And all its dizzy raptures.”
... "that
blessed mood,
In which the affections gently lead us on,
Until, the breath of this corporeal frame
And even the motion of our human blood
Almost suspended, we are laid asleep
In body, and become a living soul!
While with an eye made quiet by the power
Of harmony, and the deep power of joy,
We see into the life of things.”
He loved
nature for its own sake and enjoyed aesthetic pleasure in nature. Such a
pleasure he could not enjoy after 5 years in the same place he had
already seen and still remember in his mind as that time or season of
his youth is gone and over then.
Still Sad Music of Society in Nature
More than that already the French Revolution which was fighting for
democratic principles such as liberty, equality and fraternity turned
into a war of conquest which disturbed his intellect very much and put
him under spiritual crisis in such a way that he lost faith in Nature,
society and in God. So, he heard the still sad music of the society in
nature everywhere.
...”For
I have learned
To look on nature, not as in the hour
Of thoughtless youth; but hearing often times
The still sad music of humanity,
Nor harsh nor grating, though of ample power
To chosen and subdue.”
Intellectual Pleasure
In the interval of 5 years his spirit was tempered, he was tamed and his
mind matured so much that he could philosophize over human tragedy. He
felt nature is the best healing balm that could solve the malaise of
mankind as nature never betrays anyone.
…”and
the prayer I make,
Knowing that Nature never did betray
The heart that loved her; ‘tis her privilege,
Through all the years of this our life, to lead
From joy to joy for she can so inform
The mind that is within us, so impress
With quietness and beauty, and so feed
With lofty thoughts, that neither evil tongues,
Rash judgements, nor the sneers of selfishness,
Not greetings where no kindness is, nor all
The dreary intercourse of daily life,
Shall e’er prevail against us, or disturb
Our cheerful faith, that all which we behold
Is full of blessings.”
The
quietness and beauty of nature gave him joy and pleasure and made him
show mercy and kindness to others. This sort of intellectual love for
nature made Wordsworth muse over the mystery of nature in a mystical
way.
Spiritual Pleasure or Nature Mysticism
His nature mysticism is more distinct than his philosophical ideas which
are, though borrowed, adapted to the needs of his search of truth in
nature and everything was subdued and mingled within the purview of
nature and not beyond it.
“….and
I have left
A presence that disturbs me with joy
Of elevated thoughts; a sense sublime
Of sometimes far more deeply interfused,
Whose dwelling is the light of setting Suns,
And the blue sky and in the mind of man:
A motion and a spirit, that impels
All thinking things, all objects of all thought,
And rolls through all things.
He felt a
divine spirit is pervading in everything everywhere. The meeting point
of the inner world of man and the outer world is nature and the boundary
between them is ever shifting and not fixed. Nature is almost the body
of God. As the pre-existence of man in nature is remembered by the mind
and nature is the link between the mind and the outer world, the
communion of the mind and nature reveals man all the secrets and also
the ultimate reality. This message rather the truth ever distinguishes
and keeps Wordsworth alive in the minds of men. This spiritual love of
nature and the message of Wordsworth really elevate the mind and
energizes worn out souls whatever be the chaos or the calamities of the
society are!
Aching Joy and Dizzy Rapture Unforgettable
Then to complete the poem, Tintern Abbey he again comes to the starting
stage to make it a full circle. He recovered from his mental depression
mainly due to his sister’s (Dorothy) love, affection and care and as a
result they have come to Tintern Abbey once again. As a sort of advice
to his sister, friends and readers he says that when one is in a state
of fear, pain or loneliness one has to remember that place and the
natural scenes seen so that the lost mood can be regained because the
joy and pleasure got from the beauty of nature gives one the blessed
mood, aching joy and dizzy rapture or the aesthetic pleasure which are
the most important and vital thing for human spirit.
“The
memory be as dwelling place
For all sweet sounds and harmonies; oh! then,
If solitude, for fear, or pain, or grief,
Should be thy portion, with what healing thoughts,
Of tender joy will thou remember me,
And these my exhortations!”
He
finishes by saying that he could see from the wild looks of his sister’s
eyes the former phase of his love i.e. the aesthetic passion for nature
,which led him to enjoy that blessed mood he could never forget in his
life, because that is the most important and joyfully useful part of
human life in the world.
“My
dear, dear Friend; and in thy voice I catch
The language of my former heart, and read
My former pleasures in the shooting lights
Of thy wild eyes.”
Perfection, Permanence –
Rare; Nature the only Compensation
By trial and error methods man learns and to satisfy his needs and
curiosity he tries in all possible ways to explore mysteries of life to
get experience and knowledge of truth which he shares with everyone. To
fulfill natural destiny, to achieve completion or perfection he seeks
the hand of woman as his better half. Though he gets home, wife and
hundred relations the peace he longs for, the freedom he seeks and the
immortality or permanence he dreams he hardy achieves. So, he tries his
hand in arts such as music, paintings, sculpture, poetry, etc. to
achieve perfection and permanence in the higher level.
Here also it is possible only by the gifted and the chosen few and for
others the appreciation or criticism of the achievements of the gifted
people only is possible. This is also not instantly possible without
great efforts. So, only boredom or fatigue remains finally. Therefore
the physically and the visibly remaining thing left for men to explore
is Nature only.
The beauty of nature absorbs one and all at anytime and gives the
blessed mood which cannot be forgotten so easily. Through the senses in
nature it is possible to feel the presence of a living spirit in all
fauna and flora including man. Indeed nature is the living scientific
art that enlightens, elevates, energizes, inspires and gives ideas both
creative and mystical. Hence there cannot be a better friend,
philosopher and guide other than nature for man.
Utopian Dreams made Realities because of Literature
There are esemplastic writings in literature by S.T. Coleridge, poetry
like novels by Virginia Wolf, novel of blood consciousness by D.H.
Lawrence, stream of consciousness novel by James Joyce, etc. which are
beyond the scope of man to understand due to their obscurity or
indecipherability. Psychological novels by Alfred Hitchcock, etc., and
dream like writings of Salmon Rushdie, etc. are modern writings. Novels
of scientific adventures by authors like Jules Verne, H.G. Wells, etc.
and novels of Utopian dreams by Francis Bacon, Aldous Huxley and George
Orwell have become realities. So many discoveries and inventions have
been achieved after such writings. Yesterday’s dreams with the
development of human knowledge in science and technology since 200 years
have come true today and will come true tomorrow also.
December
24, 2006
Image
under license with Gettyimages.com
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Perspective
The Week of December 24, 2006
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Peace Talks: Moving on the Wrong Track by Rajinder Puri
2006 : The Year of Indian Diaspora by Aroonim
Bhuyan
Bloody 2006: No End to Violence in 2007 by
Col. Rahul K. Bhonsle
Words Meaning Changes and Misuse by Bush & Bin Laden
by Gaurang Bhatt, MD
In 2006, Courts Put the Fear of Law in the High
and Mighty by Rana Ajit
Can It Be The Beginning of The End of Partition?
by Amulya Ganguli
A Bold Judiciary Augurs Well for the Nation by
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A Samuel Pepys of Emergency India by V.
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Which God's Own Country by J. Ajithkumar
Communist Turnaround : From 'Land to Tiller' to
'Land to Tatas' by Amulya Ganguli
Communalism or Affirmative Action by Ram
Puniyani
Counting on People by Swapna Majumdar
A Tribute to a Poet by V. Sundaram
Urban Floods: Bane for
the People by VK Joshi
Tackling the
Water Crisis by Mini Sharma
In Quest of Space Colonization by Subra
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Psoriasis by Dr. Savitha Suri
Toxic Blood by Yasmin Rimi
Investing in Indian Real Estate: Is Your Checklist
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Why is Literature Indispensable for Human Life?
by TA Ramesh
Three Cheers for Thuggee Raj! by V. Sundram
Recognition for NARI's Work - A Report
The Village Bride of Beverly Hills a Book
review by K. Bharati
A Lonely Christmas in Jerusalem Shoshana
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Exposing the Hidden Half by Devindra Kohli
Porn & Mainstream Media Boundaries have become
Blurred by Elsa sherin Mathews
Mothers' Help: Home Surveillance Systems by
Gagandeep Kaur
Kerala's Feisty Fisherwomen by Nilanjana Biswas
Maternal Mortality: Civil Societies Call for Action
by Anil Gulati
The Olympics in London by Rajesh Talwar
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