Friday, May 8, 2009

Clouds and the Pathetic Fallacy

OK - Big Frank is still looking up into the sky and is continually amazed at what's going on up there. Not just the large stuff floating around with the whole parade of clouds, but the swirling, fluid changes that are continually happening within each cloud that you can see if you look closely. Beyond that you can also find clouds or whole cloud-scapes that reflect what is going on inside of you. This is a pathetic fallacy (note: here pathetic is not a pejorative term but rather is related to empathy; in this case the clouds are empathizing with you - they are reflecting in their appearance what is going on emotionally with you). This literary term, coined by John Ruskin, was especially prevalent in 19th century romantic poets like Wordswoth, Shelly, and Cowper. However you can also find it used in contemporary poets too like John Ashberry and Mary Oliver. Anything along the lines of: "the sky wept" or "the angry wind blew" or the "exuberant south wind" is a fallacy because of course the sky can not cry, nor can the wind be angry etc.

Now, having said that, take a look up in the sky - do it tomorrow. I defy you to not find a cloud, if there is one, that doesn't carry a bit, or perhaps a lot, of you inside it. The sky will speak to you reflecting back at you what's going on inside you. It's like a giant mirror above you all the time. So with that - here's a photo I took today: it sure does look like emerging joy to Big Frank! And, as we all know, the sky knows best! This sure bodes well for Big Frank!

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Good morning Big Frank. I share your pleasure in watching clouds take the shape of my sub-conscious thouhts or shape my thinking with their antics. Maybe the best part is taking/making the time to enjoy the ongoing display? Last summer I had the good fortune to watch clouds form. Simply amazing! It happened on a hot humid cloudless day. I was watching an eagle circling and accidently noticed some kind of shapeless, translucent something behind it. I focused on it and very slowly it evolved from its vapor form into a tiny white whisp of a cloud.It continued to expand , as eventually, multiple other whisps did. The hot sunny afternoon gave way to a partly cloudly sky.The end result was was cooling thunderstorm that evening and an amazing afternoon to remember.
Spike

Big Frank Dickinson said...

Hi Spike,
I'm not surprised that you watch clouds. The sky and all its varied scenery being brought right to us daily. Constant amazement directly above us - all the time.

Anonymous said...

Ok Spike and Big Frank. I'm not the fluent poetic writer that the both of you are. But I will comment that I LOVE watching the sky and being the recipient of the free entertainment it gives me each morning when I'm running. Sometimes, I literally feel that I am being kissed by the rays of sun that pour out through the early morning clouds. It only lasts a moment but it is a grand moment of receiving a hug from the Creator Himself. -HL

Big Frank Dickinson said...

HL,
I should have figured - all that running outside, how could you not notice the clouds! The sun brings the clouds to life - what would that show be without it!