From the Golden Age to the Space Age

Hello everyone –

To begin my series of hollydaze quotations, I’d like to share some reflections about my favorite Classical myth – “The Ages of Humankind.” Here we go! :)

The Ages of Humankind: A Myth for All Times & Climes

Excerpted from “A Golden Jubilee Interview with the Editor” by Maria Pauls (ACES James Scholar Alumna & Bronze Tableteer, Class of 2014)

Reprinted from Cursus Honorum (Course of Honors), Volume XII, Number 1 (August 2012)

·        Maria: What is your favorite mythological story of all time and why?

·        Rob: The myth of the “Ages of Humankind” is my all-time favorite. This story appears in the Greek, Persian, Hindu, and Abrahamic religions. There are four main ages of human history, the story goes. The first is the Golden Age, where everything is very harmonious and peaceful; then comes the Silver Age, when the human condition is a bit less harmonious and peaceful, but still idyllic. Next is the Bronze Age, wherein people may sometimes be heroic, but conflict and injustice begin to rear their ugly heads. Last of all is the Iron Age, which is the age we live in, full of conflict, disasters, and hardships. In the Greek version of this story, Astraea, the goddess of justice, ruled the world during the Golden Age, but later – because of humankind’s inhumanity to humankind – she departed into the sky to become the constellation Virgo, the celestial Maiden who holds the Scales of Justice (Libra) in her hand. Once this current Iron Age is done, the myth goes on, we will go back to this perfect age, the Golden Age, and Astraea will come back, and everyone will be nice and in harmony. I like this myth best of all because it inspires us to strive for better conditions on Earth, in which human beings can flourish and build a better society based on justice, freedom, and peace for all peoples.

Next up is a Classical Latin poem by the Roman epic poet Virgil (70-19 BCE). In this amazing piece of verse, Virgil predicts a new Golden Age for the human race to follow the birth of a long-awaited child; the poem’s resonances with visionary themes and motifs in the Abrahamic faith traditions (cf. esp. Isaiah 11:6, “a little child shall lead them”) ensured Virgil’s continued popularity throughout the Middle Ages and onward into the present day.

Virgil’s Fourth Eclogue (Composed 37 BCE)

Muses of Sicily, essay we now
A somewhat loftier task! Not all men love
Coppice or lowly tamarisk: sing we woods,
Woods worthy of a Consul let them be.
Now the last age by Cumae's Sibyl sung
Has come and gone, and the majestic roll
Of circling centuries begins anew:
Justice returns, returns old Saturn's reign,
With a new breed of men sent down from heaven.
Only do thou, at the boy's birth in whom
The iron shall cease, the golden race arise,
Befriend him, chaste Lucina; 'tis thine own
Apollo reigns. And in thy consulate,
This glorious age, O Pollio, shall begin,
And the months enter on their mighty march.
Under thy guidance, whatso tracks remain
Of our old wickedness, once done away,
Shall free the earth from never-ceasing fear.
He shall receive the life of gods, and see
Heroes with gods commingling, and himself
Be seen of them, and with his father's worth
Reign o'er a world at peace. For thee, O boy,
First shall the earth, untilled, pour freely forth
Her childish gifts, the gadding ivy-spray
With foxglove and Egyptian bean-flower mixed,
And laughing-eyed acanthus. Of themselves,
Untended, will the she-goats then bring home
Their udders swollen with milk, while flocks afield
Shall of the monstrous lion have no fear.
Thy very cradle shall pour forth for thee
Caressing flowers. The serpent too shall die,
Die shall the treacherous poison-plant, and far
And wide Assyrian spices spring. But soon
As thou hast skill to read of heroes' fame,
And of thy father's deeds, and inly learn
What virtue is, the plain by slow degrees
With waving corn-crops shall to golden grow,
From the wild briar shall hang the blushing grape,
And stubborn oaks sweat honey-dew. Nathless
Yet shall there lurk within of ancient wrong
Some traces, bidding tempt the deep with ships,
Gird towns with walls, with furrows cleave the earth.
Therewith a second Tiphys shall there be,
Her hero-freight a second Argo bear;
New wars too shall arise, and once again
Some great Achilles to some Troy be sent.
Then, when the mellowing years have made thee man,
No more shall mariner sail, nor pine-tree bark
Ply traffic on the sea, but every land
Shall all things bear alike: the glebe no more
Shall feel the harrow's grip, nor vine the hook;
The sturdy ploughman shall loose yoke from steer,
Nor wool with varying colors learn to lie;
But in the meadows shall the ram himself,
Now with soft flush of purple, now with tint
Of yellow saffron, teach his fleece to shine.
While clothed in natural scarlet graze the lambs.
"Such still, such ages weave ye, as ye run,"
Sang to their spindles the consenting Fates
By Destiny's unalterable decree.
Assume thy greatness, for the time draws nigh,
Dear child of gods, great progeny of Jove!
See how it totters- the world's orbed might,
Earth, and wide ocean, and the vault profound,
All, see, enraptured of the coming time!
Ah! might such length of days to me be given,
And breath suffice me to rehearse thy deeds,
Nor Thracian Orpheus should out-sing me then,
Nor Linus, though his mother this, and that
His sire should aid- Orpheus Calliope,
And Linus fair Apollo. Nay, though Pan,
With Arcady for judge, my claim contest,
With Arcady for judge great Pan himself
Should own him foiled, and from the field retire.
Begin to greet thy mother with a smile,
O baby-boy! ten months of weariness
For thee she bore: O baby-boy, begin!
For him, on whom his parents have not smiled,
Gods deem not worthy of their board or bed.

Finally, I’d like to take this opportunity to bid farewell to a true American hero and pioneer of the Space Age: Senator John Glenn, who passed away yesterday (12/8) at the venerable age of 95. Here’s a poem from Tennyson to conclude our reflections for this week:

“Crossing the Bar” (1889)

By Alfred, Lord Tennyson (1807-1892)

Sunset and evening star,

And one clear call for me!

And may there be no moaning of the bar,

When I put out to sea,

But such a tide as moving seems asleep,

Too full for sound and foam,

When that which drew from out the boundless deep

Turns again home.

Twilight and evening bell,

And after that the dark!

And may there be no sadness of farewell,

When I embark;

For though from out our bourne of Time and Place

The flood may bear me far,

I hope to see my Pilot face to face

When I have crossed the bar.

Tennyson remarked about this poem: “The Pilot has been on board all the while, but in the dark I have not seen him … [He is] that Divine and Unseen Who is always guiding us.”

Next week: more hollydaze poems and reflections to banish the cold dark nights of December! :)

Rob

Remembering Mandela: 3 Years Later

Hello Everyone –

Three years ago this month, on December 5, 2013, Nelson Mandela passed away at the age of 95 in South Africa. So here are a few poems and quotes that celebrate the living spirit of Nelson Mandela – statesman, peacemaker, and Nobel laureate extraordinaire. The first two items were personal favorites of his that brought him great strength and courage during his 27-year imprisonment – and also afterward – as he carried on the struggle against injustice throughout the 67 years of his public life. Mandela is a sterling example of how one person can change the world for the better – and gives lasting proof that positive change can be accomplished in the world, one person at a time.

“INVICTUS” (1875)

By William Ernest Henley (1849–1903)

Out of the night that covers me,

Black as the pit from pole to pole,

I thank whatever gods may be

For my unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of circumstance

I have not winced nor cried aloud.

Under the bludgeonings of chance

My head is bloody, but unbowed.

Beyond this place of wrath and tears

Looms but the Horror of the shade,

And yet the menace of the years

Finds and shall find me unafraid.

It matters not how strait the gate,

How charged with punishments the scroll,

I am the master of my fate:

I am the captain of my soul.

THE MAN IN THE ARENA

By Theodore Roosevelt (1856-1919), 26^th President of the United States

Excerpted from the Speech Citizenship in a Republic

Delivered at the Sorbonne, in Paris, France on 23 April 1910

“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”

“A Song of New Hope”

By J. R. R. Tolkien

From The Lord of the Rings (Volume III: The Return of the King)

Out of doubt, out of dark, to the day's rising

He rode singing in the sun, sword unsheathing.

Hope he rekindled, and in hope ended;

Over death, over dread, over doom lifted

Out of loss, out of life, unto long glory.

Additional information about Nelson Mandela and the charitable work of the Nelson Mandela Foundation can be found @ http://www.nelsonmandela.org/.

Quotemail will begin its annual series of weekly Yuletide features next Friday, December 9^th, which will conclude with a special edition on the day of the Winter Solstice, December 21^st. Stay tuned!

Until next week –

Rob :)

Happy Thanksgiving & Fall Break!

Hello everyone –

Fall Break begins later today at the University of Illinois, so this is the perfect time to wish all my Quotemail subscribers a very Happy Thanksgiving with the following Thanksgiving-themed poems that have been set to music.

“Simple Gifts” (1848)

By Joseph Brackett, Jr.

1. ‘Tis the gift to be simple,

‘Tis the gift to be free,

‘Tis the gift to come down where you ought to be,

And when we find ourselves in the place just right,

It will be in the valley of love and delight.

Refrain: 

When true simplicity is gained,

To bow and to bend we shan’t be ashamed.

And to turn, turn will be our delight,

‘Til by turning, turning we come round right.

2. ‘Tis the gift to be loved and that love to return,

‘Tis the gift to be taught and a richer gift to learn,

And when we expect of others what we try to live each day,

Then we’ll all live together and we’ll all learn to say,

Refrain

3. ‘Tis the gift to have friends and a true friend to be,

‘Tis the gift to think of others not to only think of “me,”

And when we hear what others really think and really feel,

Then we’ll all live together with a love that is real.

Refrain

“Over the River and Through the Woods” (1844)

By Lydia Maria Child (1802-1880)

1. Over the river, and through the wood,

To Grandfather's house we go;

the horse knows the way to carry the sleigh

through the white and drifted snow.

Over the river, and through the wood,

to Grandfather's house away!

We would not stop for doll or top,

for 'tis Thanksgiving Day.

2. Over the river, and through the wood—

oh, how the wind does blow!

It stings the toes and bites the nose

as over the ground we go.

Over the river, and through the wood—

and straight through the barnyard gate,

We seem to go extremely slow,

it is so hard to wait!

3. Over the river, and through the wood—

When Grandmother sees us come,

She will say, "O, dear, the children are here,

bring a pie for everyone."

Over the river, and through the wood—

now Grandmother's cap I spy!

Hurrah for the fun! Is the pudding done?

Hurrah for the pumpkin pie!

“The Lone Pumpkin” (Anonymous)

Contributed by WLB :)

A lone pumpkin grew on a green pumpkin vine.

He was round; he was fat; he was yellow!

“No silly Jack-O-Lantern shall I make,” he said.

“I’m determined that I’ll be a useful fellow!”

So he raised up his head when the cook came around,

And she chose him at once as the winner!

Now the glory of the Jack is in the candle,

On the gatepost where his grin sits up so high!

And the glory of the turkey is the drumstick,

But the glory of the pumpkin is the pie!

Happy Fall Break & Thanksgiving! :)

Rob

Quotemail's 21st Anniversary Edition! :)

Hello everyone! :)

Tuesday, November 8^th marks the 21^st birthday of the Quotemail emailing list AND the 21^st birthday of my younger cousin, Zenaida.

The list now known as the RHC Quotemail began during my graduate school days in the German Department at the U of I. Its original name was REEL – Rob’s Eclectic Edutainment List. It was primarily aimed at friends and colleagues in the German Department, but it began to expand slowly but surely as my worksites changed over the years. When I moved to the Graduate College Information Office in 1997, this list became the “Quote of the Week,” and when I moved to the ACES James Scholar Honors Program in 2000, it was simply called “Quotemail.” Today, this list can boast over 160 members who receive snippets of poetry and prose, mixed in with some inspiration and humor, every other Friday.

In honor of these two birthdays, and the longstanding interest in astronomy that I share with many of our listmembers, here’s a selection of my favorite poems about the planet Venus. Venus has returned to the evening sky; whenever it appears in the west after sunset, it is known as the Evenstar, and when it appears in the east before sunrise, it is known as the Morningstar. Skywatchers can be on the lookout for Venus during evening twilight, about half an hour after sunset; Venus is unmistakable, as it is the third-brightest object in the sky (after the Sun and Moon). Although the planet is a beautiful sight from our world, it is in fact a victim of a runaway greenhouse effect; surface temperatures on Venus can exceed 900 degrees Fahrenheit.

We begin our celestial selection of poetry with an invocation to Urania, the Greek Muse of Astronomy:

From Paradise Lost: Book 7, Lines 1-20

By John Milton (1608-1674)

Descend from Heaven, Urania, by that name
If rightly thou art called, whose voice divine
Following, above the Olympian hill I soar,
Above the flight of Pegasean wing!
The meaning, not the name, I call: for thou
Nor of the Muses nine, nor on the top
Of old Olympus dwellest; but, heavenly-born,
Before the hills appeared, or fountain flowed,
Thou with eternal Wisdom didst converse,
Wisdom thy sister, and with her didst play
In presence of the Almighty Father, pleased
With thy celestial song. Up led by thee
Into the Heaven of Heavens I have presumed,
An earthly guest, and drawn empyreal air,
Thy tempering: with like safety guided down
Return me to my native element:
Lest from this flying steed unreined, (as once
Bellerophon, though from a lower clime,)
Dismounted, on the Aleian field I fall,
Erroneous there to wander, and forlorn.

The Evenstar in Old English!

(Cynewulf, 8^th Century CE):

    éala éarendel engla beorhtast

    ofer middangeard monnum sended

Which means:

“Hail Day-Star! Brightest angel sent to man throughout the earth!”

“February Twilight”

By Sara Teasdale (1884-1933)

I stood beside a hill

Smooth with new-laid snow,

A single star looked out

From the cold evening glow.

There was no other creature

That saw what I could see --

I stood and watched the Evening Star

As long as it watched me.

“Evening Star” (1930)

By H. P. Lovecraft (1890-1937)

I saw it from that hidden, silent place

Where the old wood half shuts the meadow in.

It shone through all the sunset’s glories – thin

At first, but with a slowly brightening face.

Night came, and that lone beacon, amber-hued,

Beat on my sight as never it did of old;

The evening star – but grown a thousandfold

More haunting in this hush and solitude.

It traced strange pictures on the quivering air –

Half-memories that had always filled my eyes –

Vast towers and gardens; curious seas and skies

Of some dim life – I never could tell where.

But now I knew that through the cosmic dome

Those rays were calling from my far, lost home.

May It Be

(Words & Music by Enya – Composed for Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings Film Trilogy)

The Evenstar is a beacon of hope to the peoples of Middle-Earth in J. R. R. Tolkien’s fantasy writings (The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, etc.). The inspirational song “May It Be” expounds on this aspect of the Evenstar as a harbinger of hope. You can watch a video of “May It Be” as performed by Celtic Woman on YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RugSclNY4y8). The non-English lyrics interspersed throughout the song are in Elvish (one of Tolkien’s invented languages). May you always find an Evenstar when you need one, and may you also be the Evenstar to others.

May it be an evening star
Shines down upon you
May it be when darkness falls
Your heart will be true
You walk a lonely road
Oh! How far you are from home

Mornie utulie (Darkness has come)
Believe and you will find your way
Mornie alantie (Darkness has fallen)
A promise lives within you now

May it be the shadow's call
Will fly away
May it be your journey on
To light the day
When the night is overcome
You may rise to find the sun

Mornie utulie (Darkness has come)
Believe and you will find your way
Mornie alantie (Darkness has fallen)
A promise lives within you now

“A promise lives within you now” – a message to us all, as we face the future with HOPE. :)

Happy Birthday!

Rob