ARISE, my @3Muse,@1 and ply th' extended Wing! It is of Language that I mean to sing. Thou mighty Medium, potent to convey The clearest Notions in the darkest Way, Diffus'd by thee, what Depth of verbal Mist Veils now the Realist, now th' Idealist! Our mental Processes more complex grow Than those our Sires were privileged to know. In Ages old, ere Time Instruction brought, A Thought or Thing was but a Thing or Thought: Such simple Names are now forever gone -- A Concept this, that a Noumenon: As @3Cambria's@1 Sons their Pride of Race increase By joining @3Ap@1 to @3Evan, Jones,@1 or @3Rees,@1 A prouder Halo decks the Sage's Brow, Perceptive once, he 's Apperceptive now! Here sits Mentality (that erst was Mind), By correlated Entities defin'd: Here Monads lone Duality express In bright Immediacy of Consciousness: O who shall say what Obstacles deter The Youth who'd fain commence Philosopher! The painful Public with bewilder'd Brain For Metaphysic pants, but pants in vain: Too hard the Names, too weighty far the Load: Language forbids, and @3Br-dl-y@1 blocks the Road. From Themes like these I willingly depart, And pass (discursive) to the Realms of Art. Ye @3Muses@1 nine! what Phrases ye employ, What wondrous Terms t' express aesthetic Joy! As once in Years ere @3Babel's@1 Turrets rose Contented Nations talk'd the self-same Prose: As early @3Christians@1 in the Days of Yore Took what they wanted from a common Store: So different Arts th' astonished Reader sees Pool all their Terms, then choose whate'er they please. 'Mid critick Crews (where Intellect abounds) Sound sings in Colours, Colours shine in Sounds: When mimick Groves @3Apelles@1 decks with green, Or @3Zeuxis@1 limns the vespertinal Scene, @3Staccato Tints@1 delight th' auscultant Eye And soft @3Andantes@1 paint the conscious Sky: Nor less, when Musick holds the list'ning Throng, How crisply lucent glows th' entrancing Song! Each loud @3Sonata@1 boasts its lively Hue, And @3Fugues@1 are red, and @3Symphonies@1 are blue. Not mine to deem your Epithets misplac'd, Ye learned Arbiters of publick Taste! Yet such th' Effect on merely human Wit, That @3Esperanto@1 is a Joke to it. Hail, Terminology! celestial Maid! Portress of Science, Guide to Art and Trade! I see Democracy -- an ardent Band Who fain would read yet wish to understand -- Compell'd that Goal in alien Tongues to seek, Fly for Relief to @3Necessary Greek,@1 Claim as their Right (advised by @3Mr. Snow@1) The sweet Simplicity of @3s h ts@1, -- While Dons con English till they're pale and lean, And Candidates in @3Mods.@1 do English for Unseen! | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...ELEGIAC SONNET: 7. ON THE DEPARTURE OF THE NIGHTINGALE by CHARLOTTE SMITH WIFE, CHILDREN AND FRIENDS by WILLIAM ROBERT SPENCER THE REFORMER by JOHN GREENLEAF WHITTIER TO ONE WHO ASKS by MARY REYNOLDS ALDIS PEARLS OF THE FAITH: 57. AL-HAMID by EDWIN ARNOLD |