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A carregar... The Temple of Naturepor Erasmus Darwin
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Adira ao LibraryThing para descobrir se irá gostar deste livro. Ainda não há conversas na Discussão sobre este livro. A long poem that sets out the author's ideas on the formation of nature. It is a bit disconcerting to read a poem to explicate a scientific idea, but I have wanted to read this for some time. Dr. Darwin uses the flowery language of his time which makes it somewhat tough going at times, even for someone steeped in Shakespeare. The poetry is okay, I wouldn't say great. The images are interesting, and the way he works various religious mythologies into the mix is intriguing. A reasonably quick read more interesting for its history than for itself. ( ) [The Temple of Nature, or the Origin of Society] Erasmus Darwin was an English Physician, natural philosopher, physiologist, inventor and slave-trade abolitionist; he died in 1802 and his long poem The Temple of Nature was published after his death. He was the grandfather of Charles Darwin and had enjoyed popular success with [The Botanic Garden] another long poem published in179. According to the Encyclopedia of Science Fiction he is now considered an important figure in the genre of proto Science fiction because of his theories on evolution. The book is described as a poem, with philosophical notes, the actual poem consists of nearly a thousand rhyming couplets in iambic pentameter with footnotes explaining or surmising about the scientific theories therein. There are also extensive notes following the poem, but I was far too tired to go into these having read the poem in a single sitting. Darwin’s The Botanic garden had enjoyed critical as well as popular success, but probably The temple of Nature was one poem too many. He had been seen as a forerunner to the romantic poets and there are many passages similar to this in his poem: "Now young DESIRES, on purple pinions borne, Mount the warm gales of Manhood's rising morn; With softer fires through virgin bosoms dart, Flush the pale cheek, and goad the tender heart. Ere the weak powers of transient Life decay, And Heaven's ethereal image melts away; LOVE with nice touch renews the organic frame, Forms a young Ens, another and the same; Gives from his rosy lips the vital breath, And parries with his hand the shafts of death; While BEAUTY broods with angel wings unfurl'd O'er nascent life, and saves the sinking world. However it does sound much too artificial, he was not interested in describing feelings or the inner workings of the mind. His use of the poetic form was to bring attention to his scientific and anthropological theories. His didactic style wears thin and his attempts to intersperse this with classical mythology only serves to produce more footnotes for the confused reader. Darwin says in his introduction that his poem is not meant to instruct its aim is simply to amuse by bringing distinctly to the imagination, the beautiful and sublime images of the operations of nature. It his theories on the operation of nature that are of interest because he tells us that life began beneath the sea, with atoms and chemical reactions producing cellular creatures that evolved into the life forms that we see today. He must have realised that these ideas on evolution might be rejected by the religious community because he kind of shoe horns in the Adam and Eve story from the bible. The poem might be interesting for readers who are researching into early ideas on evolution, or for those that like the “romantic” language of Darwin’s rhyming couplets. Apart from a few arresting passages, I was glad to be finished with it and so 2.5 stars. sem críticas | adicionar uma crítica
Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: A purple sash across His shoulder bends, And fring'd with gold the quiver'd shafts suspends; The bending bow obeys the silken string, And, as he steps, the silver arrows ring. Thin folds of gauze with dim transparence flow O'er Her fair forehead, and her neck of snow; 230 The winding woof her graceful limbs surrounds, Swells in the breeze, and sweeps the velvet grounds; As, hand in hand, along the flowery meads, His blushing bride the quiver'd Hero leads; Charm'd round their heads pursuing Zephyrs throng, And scatter roses, as they move along; Bright beams of Spring in soft effusion play, And halcyon Hours invite them on their way. Delighted Hymen hears their whisper'd vows, or Love, warming a butterfly or the Soul, with his torch, may be seen in Spence'sPolymetis, and a beautiful one of their marriage in Bryant's Mythology; from which this description is in a part taken. And binds his chaplets round their polish'd brows,240 Guides to his altar, ties the flowery bands. And as they kneel, unites their willing hands. ' Behold, he cries, Earth Ocean Air above, ' And hail the Deities Of Sexual Love ' All forms of Life shall this fond Pair delight, And sex to sex the willing world unite ' Shed their sweet smiles in Earth's unsocial bowers, ' Fan with soft gales, and gild with brighter hours; ' Fill Pleasure's chalice unalloy'd with pain, ' And give Society his golden chain.' 50 Now young Desires, on purple pinions borne, Mount the warm gales of Manhood's rising morn; With softer fires through virgin bosoms dart, Flush the pale cheek, and goad the tender heart. Ere the weak powers of transient Life decay, And Heaven's ethereal image melts away; Love with nice touch renews the organic frame... Não foram encontradas descrições de bibliotecas. |
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Google Books — A carregar... GénerosSistema Decimal de Melvil (DDC)821.7Literature English & Old English literatures English poetry 1800-1837, romantic periodClassificação da Biblioteca do Congresso dos EUA (LCC)AvaliaçãoMédia:
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