A Thing of Beauty



Dear Real Academics, 

I rarely mention this, but I have undergraduate and graduate degrees in English Literature. 

My main focus of study spanned the Medieval - Renaissance - Romantic Eras.

These time periods had a lasting impression on my views of writing, history, and the human search for beauty and truth.

I share this, because February approaching as the month of "love", I was reminded of the poetry from the Romantic era of English Literature -- Wordsworth, Keats, Shelly, Blake, to name some notable authors.

That this time period is called "Romantic" is accurate in that the writing is characterized by idealism, feeling, impression, and intense emotion. 

I've written before that I have realistic tendencies in my view of the world, so it may strike you odd that I enjoy this literature immensely -- yes, I have a heart! 

Notably, much of the Romantic Era writing is poetry, which is my favorite genre of literature. 

With that shared, I wanted to share with YOU a few lines from Keats. 
Fun trivia fact: The first line is quoted by Mary Poppins, played by Julie Andrews, in the original 1964 Disney film: 

A thing of beauty is a joy forever: 
Its loveliness increases; it will never 
Pass into nothingness; but still will keep 
A bower quiet for us, and a sleep 
Full of sweet dreams, and health, and quiet breathing. 
-- Excerpt from Edymion by John Keats

The realist in me immediately thinks, "Beauty doesn't last". 
Which is true...
In a realistic, physical sense. 
But in the sense of impression, like in memory or recording... 
Can a "thing of beauty" last "forever"? 
Yes, it can. 
As long as we don't destroy or forget about it! 

Have you ever read or seen or heard something so breathtakingly beautiful, 
that it actually calms you into 
"quiet...sleep...sweet dreams...health, and quiet breathing"? 

I hope you have. 

And I encourage you to seek out 
beautiful art, 
literature, 
and/or music 
and return to it as a "joy forever" to inspire you as you work. 

God knows the world needs beauty and joy during these very bleak days of news and social media that almost seems to want us to live in worry, fear, and ugliness. 

Don't let that get you down. 

Find your "thing of beauty today" and dwell on that instead. 

As a bonus...this all reminds me of Philippians 4:8 (ESV):
"...whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things."

Until next time, happy writing, productivity, and truth-seeking, 
Maggie 
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