Paradox of Coleridge’s Liberty
“the sacred river, ran
Through caverns measureless to man
Down to a sunless sea.”
~Coleridge, “Kubla Khan”
“Art submits itself to law in order that freedom may be brought out by contrast.”
~ R. H. Blyth
The poet wrote, “The furrow followed free.”
How to plough a field – basic instructions (youtube.com)
A paradox in “free” arises.
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Aren’t free. They have no self-willed liberty,
No more than his chthonic written caves
And river knew true freedom. In the clause
With “followed free” a contradiction leaps
Against the notion. This is clear because
To follow is to give up will. Plough keeps
The furrow from true freedom. F F F
Is strict alliteration. Everywhere
Is paradox. You have to be tone deaf
To miss this fact. It’s more like thudding glare.
The measures are not measureless. Their beat
Means only poets mold the balance sheet.
~ Phillip Whidden
by phillipw | Aug 26, 2024 | PA, Uncategorized |