Towards the Re-enchantment of Western Civilization
davidgosselin.substack.com
Every healthy human child is naturally filled with wonder and awe. This wonder, associated with early childhood “enchantment,” is one filled with a mystery and universal love that seems to animate all things. So, William Wordsworth was famously known as the poet of childhood because he often referred to this early enchantment stage as he sought to reconnect with the innocence and wonder of earlier times. Nature was seen as one of the key inspirations and reminders of this wonder, which could be revisited in poetry as a means of regaining some of the earlier “magic.”
So well and eloquently said. The concept that was pushed as a mentor, Father, Grandfather, Manager, Trainer,....... was that you can expect to find yourself as "not so special" when we leave our safe spaces. You instantaneously become one of millions to strangers.
Make yourself special to them by a smile, a kind gesture, being polite..... that is how it starts and ripples from there. Perhaps in that moment of selflessness you make someone else's day better.
Repeat this every day and you can change the world. JMHO
This essay was beautiful. As you know, I’ve been struggling with the idea of myths, perhaps good ones are fables, and bad ones are fantasies, but your idea of enchantment, dis-enchantment and re-enchantment is so much better, in our attempts to rediscover our 'innocence of immortality'. Keep up the good work in your Herculean task – I say that because it was Hercules who freed Prometheus.
So well and eloquently said. The concept that was pushed as a mentor, Father, Grandfather, Manager, Trainer,....... was that you can expect to find yourself as "not so special" when we leave our safe spaces. You instantaneously become one of millions to strangers.
Make yourself special to them by a smile, a kind gesture, being polite..... that is how it starts and ripples from there. Perhaps in that moment of selflessness you make someone else's day better.
Repeat this every day and you can change the world. JMHO
This essay was beautiful. As you know, I’ve been struggling with the idea of myths, perhaps good ones are fables, and bad ones are fantasies, but your idea of enchantment, dis-enchantment and re-enchantment is so much better, in our attempts to rediscover our 'innocence of immortality'. Keep up the good work in your Herculean task – I say that because it was Hercules who freed Prometheus.
It is heartening to know that poetry has this power.