Ah, but we were talking about Art, not about the raw material of art. Art, insofar as it is Art, can help us transcend tragedy -- by which I do not mean become callous to it.
In his poem, Yeats speaks, among other things, of "old civilizations put to the sword." Funny thing, but in my historical studies, I always felt a particular warmth, nostalgia even, for the "losers" of history. The winners may write history, but they don't command the sympathy of this particular reader.
Perhaps Tragedy (in Art) reinforces our sense of human solidarity. And perhaps it makes us feel that we, too, can rise above it, and go on... Who knows?
Sorry about the capital letters. I dare say they look pompous, but I did not know how to convey my thought appropriately without them. :-)
Joan |
