The Sarabite: Towards an Aesthetic Christianity

There is a continuous attraction, beginning with God, going to the world, and ending at last with God, an attraction which returns to the same place where it began as though in a kind of circle. -Marsilio Ficino

Wednesday, August 01, 2007

On Language


For Proclus, language is inherently theurgical, both because all forms of discourse are an extension of the divine names and because language reiterates the hierarchical nature of reality.

-Sara Rappe, Reading Neoplatonism p.192

Since I was a boy, I have always relished the power and beauty of language. As I like to tell AG, my favorite toy growing up was a torn-up dictionary. Sometimes I think that with all of this electronic media, we are continuing to lose an appreciation for the sacredness of language, spoken language especially.

As I stated in this post, perhaps the best remedy is to read things aloud, especially poetry. You should try it and see what happens.

The picture is a manuscript of the Argentine writer, Julio Cortazar.

12 Comments:

At 7:25 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Do you prefer Spanish or English?

 
At 8:00 AM, Blogger Magotty Man said...

Arturo,

I couldn't agree with you more. Even light literature benefits. Although it somewhat negates the point, I've been listening to readings of PG Wodehouse in the car on my way to work the last couple of days. Delightful.

 
At 12:40 PM, Blogger Arturo Vasquez said...

Don Miguel,

I prefer English to Spanish personally. English is my first language, though I grew up with Spanish as well. I just think that English is a much more interesting creature than Spanish or any other Romance language (which are really just ghetto Latin).

 
At 11:52 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

That is a little extreme to call Spanish (or Italian, French, Romanian or permutations and dialetcs thereof)merely ghetto Latin. Clearly Latin roots but it evolved and developed into a new and separate language like a child from the mother (or father) or other relationships by analogy.

Certainly all of the major Romance languages developed into real and erudite languages that are called languages in their separate and proper form even if from a root language and grouped together.

Ghetto seems to refer to income and class rather than language in this context. Ludacris, Twista or others may be ghetto.
Maybe even Spanish Speaking Cypress Hill or Kid Frost.

But not the Man of La Mancha.

Are you tilting at windmills?
even in your own soul?

 
At 11:54 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

All your words are like straw.

Ultimate communication with G-d is not verbal or written but intuitive. It is beyond words.
The written word can lead to a plateau but to reach beyond it is a deeper meditative prayer.

People are strange, when you are strange, people look ugly when you are alone.

Pangea Lingua

 
At 8:51 AM, Blogger Arturo Vasquez said...

Don Miguel,

I still love Spanish as literature. I just like English better.

Besides, this is real ghetto Spanish.

 
At 9:05 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Yes, there are two paths you can go by
but there is still time to change the road your on

DOES ANYONE REMEMBER LAUGHTER???!!!!

 
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Is Jimmy Page really posting on your blog?

Isn't he an occultist follower of Alister Crowley?

 
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