Abstract - Revision history

216.254.162.84: /* Verse 2 */

2014-09-14T04:07:11Z

‎Verse 2

216.254.162.84: /* Verse 1 */

2014-09-14T04:06:56Z

‎Verse 1

216.254.162.84: /* Chorus */

2014-09-14T03:26:11Z

‎Chorus

209.87.225.85: /* Verse 3 */

2014-08-27T06:08:16Z

‎Verse 3

209.87.225.85 at 06:05, 27 August 2014

2014-08-27T06:05:19Z

209.87.233.229: /* Chorus 3 */

2013-08-29T05:30:27Z

‎Chorus 3

209.87.233.229: /* Chorus 2 */

2013-08-19T04:34:21Z

‎Chorus 2

209.87.233.229 at 04:34, 19 August 2013

2013-08-19T04:34:01Z

209.87.233.229: Created page with "===Verse 1=== I put on my bowler hat and my best tweed jacket
And I go to the lecture hall I'm a stuffy academic at a conference of professors And I fully mean to rock ..."

2013-08-19T04:29:51Z

Created page with "===Verse 1=== I put on my bowler hat and my best tweed jacket<br /> And I go to the lecture hall I'm a stuffy academic at a conference of professors And I fully mean to rock ..."

New page

===Verse 1===

I put on my bowler hat and my best tweed jacket<br />
And I go to the lecture hall
I'm a stuffy academic at a conference of professors
And I fully mean to rock them all.
I've the notes for my talk and an abstract to boot
Western Literature's the topic today
But there's more! For I compare the subject with thermodynamics
An original perspective, I should say.

The structure is as follows: I have five main points
And the classics are the focus of the first.
Homer, Virgil, and the Bible, Dante, Chaucer, William Shakespeare
Constitute the mythic works of verse.
This period continues right until the Metaphysicals
The final poets, in my estimation
Who were able both to think a feeling and to a feel a thought
In perfect unity of reason and the passions.

After this, the Restoration is the term which I employ
To connote the writers who came next:
There's Milton and there's Dryden and there's Alexander Pope
And by and large, they drew upon their intellects.
In fact, I argue that this emphasis was rather detrimental
To poetic feeling in their major feats.
To correct this came Romantics such as Coleridge and Shelley
William Wordsworth, Byron, William Blake, and Keats.

Personal emotions, egotistical sublime
The Romantics thought these notions paramount
But the mind of Europe's more important than one's personal experience
Which is what the Modernists espouse!
No more lofty symbolism or pantheistic pap;
Now we concentrate on dry, hard things.
Perfect balance 'twixt the feeling and refinement of the poem
As the Classics had been wont to write and sing.

Ezra Pound, Virginia Woolf, William Butler Yeats, and Joyce
And HD bring us to the present time.
But what shall follow after? This is how thermodynamics
Enter into this discussion of mine.
For the laws thereof necessitate the universe entire
Progresses t'ward a state of entropy
A balance, equilibrium through energy dispersion
But unsuitable for life, regrettably.

So the final state of all existence is cold death
And the primal state is chaos, formless, void.
But in the billion billion years that shall occur betwixt the twain
Comes the ideal age, before we're all destroyed.
And the same is true of literature! From early myths to end:
And I wonder, of what shall this end consist?
But for now the better age is here! of World Wars and Imagism,
And one classic Anglo-Catholic monarchist!

@@ Line 34: / Line 34: @@
 And the Romantics only care about their angst<br />
 The Modernists, however, have achieved the perfect balance<br />
-'Cause they concentrate on dry, hard thangs.
+'Cause they concentrate on dry, hard thangs.<br />
 ===Bridge===

@@ Line 9: / Line 9: @@
 Western Literature's the topic today<br />
 As a counterpoint, I draw upon thermodynamic laws<br />
-An original perspective, I should say
+An original perspective, I should say<br />
 ===Chorus===

@@ Line 13: / Line 13: @@
 ===Chorus===
-Thermal laws and literature<br />
+Literature and thermodynamics<br />
 Reflecting common themes<br />
 Thermodynamic history<br />
 And literary scenes<br />
-Thermal laws and literature<br />
+Literature and thermodynamics<br />
 Despite their different names<br />
 From universe's start to end<br />

@@ Line 52: / Line 52: @@
 So sometime before apocalypse, we humans can survive<br />
 An ideal age, like Modernism now!<br />
-But what of postmodernism? Entropy of literature?<br />
+But what of after this? The entropy of literature?<br />
 What form will future writing take, and how?

@@ Line 4: / Line 4: @@
 And I go to the lecture hall<br />
 I'm a stuffy academic at a conference of professors<br />
-And I fully mean to rock them all.<br />
+And I fully mean to rock them all.
 I've the notes for my talk and an abstract to boot<br />
 Western Literature's the topic today<br />
-But there's more! For I compare the subject with thermodynamics<br />
+As a counterpoint, I draw upon thermodynamic laws<br />
-An original perspective, I should say.<br />
+An original perspective, I should say
-===Chorus 1===
+===Chorus===
-The structure is as follows: I have five main points<br />
+Thermal laws and literature<br />
-And the classics are the focus of the first.<br />
+Reflecting common themes<br />
-Homer, Virgil, and the Bible, Dante, Chaucer, William Shakespeare<br />
+Thermodynamic history<br />
-Constitute the mythic works of verse.<br />
+And literary scenes<br />
-This period continues right until the Metaphysicals<br />
-The final poets, in my estimation<br />
+Thermal laws and literature<br />
-Who were able both to think a feeling and to a feel a thought<br />
+Despite their different names<br />
-In perfect unity of reason and the passions.<br />
+From universe's start to end<br />
 ===Verse 2===
-After this, the Restoration is the term which I employ<br />
+The very first of literature concerns creation myths<br />
-To connote the writers who came next:<br />
+And I have to say, that stuff is pretty swell<br />
-There's Milton and there's Dryden and there's Alexander Pope<br />
+This swellness, if you will, continues through the Metaphysicals<br />
-And by and large, they drew upon their intellects.<br />
+The last to feel a thought and think a feel.
-In fact, I argue that this emphasis was rather detrimental<br />
+After them, it goes to pot: the Restoration's got no soul<br />
-To poetic feeling in their major feats.<br />
+And the Romantics only care about their angst<br />
-To correct this came Romantics such as Coleridge and Shelley<br />
+The Modernists, however, have achieved the perfect balance<br />
-William Wordsworth, Byron, William Blake, and Keats.<br />
+'Cause they concentrate on dry, hard thangs.
-===Chorus 2===
+===Bridge===
-Personal emotions, egotistical sublime<br />
+LITERATURE<br />
-The Romantics thought these notions paramount<br />
+LITERATURE AND THERMODYNAMICS<br />
-But the mind of Europe's more important than one's personal experience<br />
+LITERATURE AND THERMODYNAMICS<br />
-Which is what the Modernists espouse!<br />
+LITERATURE AND THERMODYNAMICS<br />
-No more lofty symbolism or pantheistic pap;<br />
+LITERATURE!
 ===Verse 3===
-Ezra Pound, Virginia Woolf, William Butler Yeats, and Joyce<br />
+The second thermal law dictates the universal system<br />
-And HD bring us to the present time.<br />
+Moves toward a state of equilibrium:<br />
-But what shall follow after? This is how thermodynamics<br />
+Total entropy as heat's dispersed and meets its death<br />
-Enter into this discussion of mine.<br />
+Perfect balance, but for life, a zero-sum
-So the final state of all existence is cold death<br />
+So sometime before apocalypse, we humans can survive<br />
-And the primal state is chaos, formless, void.<br />
+An ideal age, like Modernism now!<br />
-But in the billion billion years that shall occur betwixt the twain<br />
+But what of postmodernism? Entropy of literature?<br />
-Is the ideal age, before we're all destroyed.<br />
+What form will future writing take, and how?

@@ Line 65: / Line 65: @@
 And the same is true of literature! From early myths to end:<br />
 And I wonder, of what shall this end consist?<br />
-But for now the better age is here! of World Wars and Imagism,<br />
+But now the better age is here! of World Wars and Imagism,<br />
 And one classic Anglo-Catholic monarchist!