Auszug aus: Arendt, Hannah. „Ich selbst, auch ich tanze ·
Thanks for your thought-provoking reflections. The following appended story, told by Hannah Arendt, always touches me quite strangely - and I don't really know why. Perhaps there will be your transmission in an upcoming episode. Wish a good day & recovery from exhaustion 🌷
"What we are in appearance is of no concern." "What we do and mean, disturbs no one." "The sky is on fire above our togetherness". .... although perhaps representing "eternity" and not immortality, it seems like she herself is dropping her own insistence that appearance DOES matter... even if we may not be aware of it. The heavens "not knowing the way" would be classic Arendt, but also in alignment with any worldview not believing in God or fate. The "brightness" of the heavens "above our togetherness" seems like the major event in the poem. All in all, the feeling of the poem for me is Hannah relaxing her own world view. A slide towards eternity, which is so enticing.
On the second poem:
"Growing into our own thoughts", and how these thoughts themselves "dwell". Now that's a nice image for something to do in solitude. Self comforting.
I also have thought a lot, lately, about the differences between immortality and eternity. And on the flip-side, mortality itself, which is something that we all share. There's nothing like the shock of mortality to awaken and sharpen the need and desire for meaning in one's life, and an deeper understanding of what is meant by "our common world", the world that we build together and that we are all born into. I recently discovered a Niel Young song that, for me at least, captures some elements of this notion of mortality, https://fb.watch/9Cbx8g4aNo/
#1
"Was wir sind und scheinen,
Ach wen geht es an.
Was wir tun und meinen,
Niemand stoss’ sich dran.
Himmel steht in Flammen,
Hell das Firmament
Über dem Beisammen,
Das den Weg nicht kennt.“
#2
"Die Gedanken kommen zu mir,
ich bin ihnen nicht mehr fremd.
Ich wachse ihnen als Stätte zu
wie ein gepflügtes Feld.“
Auszug aus: Arendt, Hannah. „Ich selbst, auch ich tanze ·
Thanks for your thought-provoking reflections. The following appended story, told by Hannah Arendt, always touches me quite strangely - and I don't really know why. Perhaps there will be your transmission in an upcoming episode. Wish a good day & recovery from exhaustion 🌷
#
"Dann werd’ ich laufen, wie ich einstens lief
Durch Gras und Wald und Feld;
Dann wirst Du stehen, wie Du einmal standst,
Der innigste Gruss von der Welt.
Dann werden die Schritte gezählt sein
Durch die Ferne und durch die Näh;
Dann wird dieses Leben erzählt sein
Als der Traum von eh und je.“
I've shared this episode with my class, which is reading Men in Dark Times now. It fits so nicely with our discussions.
On the first poem:
"What we are in appearance is of no concern." "What we do and mean, disturbs no one." "The sky is on fire above our togetherness". .... although perhaps representing "eternity" and not immortality, it seems like she herself is dropping her own insistence that appearance DOES matter... even if we may not be aware of it. The heavens "not knowing the way" would be classic Arendt, but also in alignment with any worldview not believing in God or fate. The "brightness" of the heavens "above our togetherness" seems like the major event in the poem. All in all, the feeling of the poem for me is Hannah relaxing her own world view. A slide towards eternity, which is so enticing.
On the second poem:
"Growing into our own thoughts", and how these thoughts themselves "dwell". Now that's a nice image for something to do in solitude. Self comforting.
Dear Samantha (and everyone),
I also have thought a lot, lately, about the differences between immortality and eternity. And on the flip-side, mortality itself, which is something that we all share. There's nothing like the shock of mortality to awaken and sharpen the need and desire for meaning in one's life, and an deeper understanding of what is meant by "our common world", the world that we build together and that we are all born into. I recently discovered a Niel Young song that, for me at least, captures some elements of this notion of mortality, https://fb.watch/9Cbx8g4aNo/
Best,
Ken Winnick