Saturday, August 21, 2010

Some Words

Social theorists often talk about the artificiality of the world we live in. The notion that nothing we come in contact with is naturally occurring foreshadows a bleak future where "genuine living" is merely an idea rather than a process to be experienced.
I've been reading poetry lately. And this poem by John Updike, I think, encapsulates a society wherein everything is constructed, purposefully placed and never organic

Telephone Poles

They have been with us a long time.
They will outlast the elms.
Our eyes, like the eyes of a savage sieving the trees
In his search for game,
Run through them. They blend along small-town streets
Like a race of giants that have faded into mere mythology.
Our eyes, washed clean of belief,
Lift incredulous to their fearsome crown of bolts, trusses, struts, nuts, insulators and such
Barnacles as compose
These weathered encrustations of electrical debris ---
Each a Gorgon's head, which, seized right,
Could stun us to stone.

Yet they are ours. We mad them.
See here, where the cleats of linemen
have roughened a second bark
Onto the bald trunk. And these spikes
Have been driven sideways at intervals handy for human legs.
The Nature of our construction is in every way
A better fit than the Nature it displaces.
What other tree can you climb where the birds' twitter,
Unscrambled, is English? True, their thin shade is negligible,
But then again there is not that tragic autumnal
Casting-off of leaves to outface annually.
These giants are more constant than evergreens
By being never green.

This was the most comfortable outfit I've ever put together. Mom pants and loose crop tops combined achieves the perfect equilibrium of style and comfort

7 comments:

the 90s will never die said...

On the other hand, even telephone poles get weathered and worn down, have vines climbing up them, tree branches intersecting the wires, birds and squirrels climbing all over them. And there are few things more beautiful than a line of telephone poles arcing up a hill or down a valley into the wilderness, off the side of some rural highway. Nature always wins in the end.

That outfit totally shouldn't work, but it does.

Ella said...

this outfit is so simple but gorgeous!
just to let you know ive launched a giveaway on my blog of vintage bibs and bobs if you're interested:)
belle xx
ellabellevintage.blogspot.com

Unknown said...

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just found your blog and am totally diggin your style! love the blog, so i'm followin you now! check me out will ya & follow back if ya like.xo~

www.ninaonthemoon.blogspot.com

SC said...

The thing is, animals adapt themselves to fit their environment. As humans, we are able to adapt our environment to fit our own needs. We depend on telephones to do daily things. Even order pizza (cuz people are so halfassed they can't bother to cook anymore -- oops sorry, i've just had a long day at work D:). It's a way to stay connected with people you haven't seen for ages, a way to be social, yeah?

All technology will overrule us one day. Totally like 1984/Brave New World or something but without human interference, no control. Just technology controlling US, instead of the other way around.
So more like I, Robot.

"Yet they are ours. We mad them.
See here, where the cleats of linemen
have roughened a second bark
Onto the bald trunk. And these spikes
Have been driven sideways at intervals handy for human legs.
The Nature of our construction is in every way
A better fit than the Nature it displaces.
What other tree can you climb where the birds' twitter,
Unscrambled, is English? True, their think shade is negligible,
But then again there is not that tragic autumnal
Casting-off of leaves to outface annually.
These giants are more constant than evergreens
By being never green."

I love this description of a telephone pole. So ironic and almost oxymoronish. Oh and the play of words is pretty genius.

"their think shade is negligible"
I don't understand this part. Typo? Or brainfart from me?

I don't think telephones are that bad to be honest :3

We depend on them.

But I do understand the point of your post.

But there will still be things that technology can't replace. Like relationships.

Oh wait, the marriage feature in certain Roleplaying online games have pwned actual RL relationships.

Never mind.

Jks.

What is "genuine living"?

To wander through the wilds? Hunting for food? Living in tribes and huts?

Anyway, to reply to your comment:
I can completely understand your frustration! My parents and grandparents think I am very whitewashed. They prob don't even know what the word "whitewashed" means but they know I am the definition. And I guess it's true. You and I are not exactly typical Asians haha.

I don't think finding someone who's my perfect double is the point. It's finding someone I'm comfortable with, someone I have true, pure emotions with, someone I can share my life with. Woah, do I sound like an old lady there for a second. But I want to be happy. And I want to be happy with someone else (:

Oh, Xu, I bet one day when you're not expecting it -- maybe you'll be in the Organic section of the market, just looking at some carrots and there he will be.

Who knows. (;

SC said...

jeez that error thing happened again, but i forgot (am too lazy) to save my comment! hope you received it.

and i just remembered: that crop top rocks. it's purple. and mom jeans rock too. kay. kewwwwl :D

peace.

ANDWHATELSEISTHERE said...

"These giants are more constant than evergreens
By being never green."

that kinda hits me. what is actually real anyway?

ANDWHATELSEISTHERE

SHOP

Lexy @ QUIRKY EXPLOSION said...

Okay. I'll be brave and frank and whatever here: I'm terrible with poetry. I wish I could throw out some fabulous interpretation and insightful comment but, at last, that will likely not happen...

But, on the plus side to my lack of greatness, YOU LOOK FABULOUS. Comfort is awesome. You kind of remind me of Friends. I LOVE FRIENDS.

QUIRKYEXPLOSION.blogspot.com