Forced inspiration tends to lead to a sort of panic, an increased volume of necessity in order to find that one specific idea that the person forcing said inspiration upon you wants you to understand. My English III teacher assigned us to sit outside and find transcendentalist ideas in nature. What he implied by saying transcendentalist ideas was to almost find a connection to religion. Alas, I can write down exactly what I was [supposed] to learn from the exercise of sitting outside in a natural environment, but honestly, it does not truly mean I have realized it.
However, metaphors shall ensue otherwise. Underneath the picnic table in the courtyard, there laid shadow- mass quantities of intense darkness, blocking the sun. Within the depths suffer what could be left of green grass- now brown and dying from lack of interaction with light.
So how does this all relate to human beliefs and life? When thinking of light, one automatically relates it to warmth, heat, belonging, and life. People also relate these things to the supposed God that reigns above us and helps us through our lifetime. The table, which is a symbol of overbearing society, is hiding God from the grass- which is everyone’s inner soul. So looking at nature in this perspective, one could assume that without God, your inner soul dies.
As soon as the blockade is removed (aka: moving the table), the grass that was once hidden underneath will slowly begin to grow again because they are at the mercy of the warm sunlight- so when someone without faith is taken out of the environment that is making them believe there is no such thing, they will eventually find God again.
Now, while this could make sense to some people, I honestly do not believe this. However, it seemed like a worthy metaphor for this assignment. If it makes sense to someone else, I think that’s beautiful- amazing even. I like to look at it in two different ways: the table is still society, the grass is still inner “soul”, but when I take out the sun equation, the explanation becomes simpler, and more secular. When society is bearing down on you, trying to change you and watching what you do, you can’t help but to change- to die.
I’m really more of an existentialist myself…
Here's an odd observation:
"As soon as the blockade is removed (aka: moving the table), the grass that was once hidden underneath will slowly begin to grow again because they are at the mercy of the warm sunlight- so when someone without faith is taken out of the environment that is making them believe there is no such thing, they will eventually find God again."
If you removed (as i seemed to do subconsciously in my first time through the post) "that is making them believe there is no such thing," it would completely change the meaning.
Like i said, it was something i stumbled upon. Morphing the sentence in my mind actually made me upset. I said to myself-- in society i am agnostic, in nature i am a devout transcendentalist.
Sustainably yers, Green Underbelly
Are you able to really get out into a natural setting every once in a while? Which state do you reside?
Sustainably yers, Green Underbelly
Michigan, full of automobiles and such..
But we were told to sit at our local park, which is a giant spread of grass, water, sand, and stone, as I am situated around Lake Saint Clair. :)
As for:
If you removed (as i seemed to do subconsciously in my first time through the post) "that is making them believe there is no such thing," it would completely change the meaning.
I wrote this to comply to what my teacher was ultimately pressuring me to learn, but if you read through the entire blog, I talk about my true feelings and lessons from the assignment. I was probably just as upset as you are, nearly punching the keyboard at first (which is why it sounds a little uptight sounding).
AKA: the first metaphor was to assure my A on the assignment and in the last paragraph, I make note that it is no my belief and that I don't agree with it, and refer to another lesson of which I actually learned and took to heart in the assignment.
"I like to look at it in two different ways: the table is still society, the grass is still inner “soul”, but when I take out the sun equation, the explanation becomes simpler, and more secular. When society is bearing down on you, trying to change you and watching what you do, you can’t help but to change- to die." <--this being what I believe.
As an Atheist, it would be silly of my to think that I'm terrible and should be tossed out of society. -^^- But it's not as though I could point blank tell my teacher my faith (or lack of), as it shouldn't make a difference either way.
Sorry if that was not clear. :)