My Lord Sebastian, The truth you speak doth lack some gentleness,
And time to speak it in
—- Shakespeare, “The Tempest”
3 thoughts on “Shakespeare On Truth And Gentleness”
Sometimes a phrase can expand itself greatly, into a blend of sight, music, and poetry. This snippet had that effect on me, but with a strong bass line, which seemed to suggest depths nearly incomprehensible. Some of the *depths*, to be sure, simply parallel the changes in language between Shakespeare’s day and now, which give a slight air of mystery.
Suppose these short lines were expanded into a concerto of the mind.
It would be most interesting to hear you write an accompanying cadenza… in the form of a short paragraph, that would enlighten us as to how and why you selected this particular snippet.
Did anything specific prompt this bit from The Tempest?
Your lines, perhaps unsurprisingly, brought Joe Sobran to mind… an expert in the field of nicely balancing harshness and softness, depending on the nature of those to whom he spoke, and those who he discussed in writing.
My sense is that Joe’s work will increasingly be appreciated, respected, and loved as time passes. –A true gentle giant.
Sometimes a phrase can expand itself greatly, into a blend of sight, music, and poetry. This snippet had that effect on me, but with a strong bass line, which seemed to suggest depths nearly incomprehensible. Some of the *depths*, to be sure, simply parallel the changes in language between Shakespeare’s day and now, which give a slight air of mystery.
Suppose these short lines were expanded into a concerto of the mind.
It would be most interesting to hear you write an accompanying cadenza… in the form of a short paragraph, that would enlighten us as to how and why you selected this particular snippet.
Did anything specific prompt this bit from The Tempest?
harshness in the wrong place..
softness in the wrong place
Harshness toward the weak..
Softness to the powerful?
What is the right measure of it? When does it do more harm than good? When more good than harm?
–Well-considered, well-composed cadenza. Thank you.
Your lines, perhaps unsurprisingly, brought Joe Sobran to mind… an expert in the field of nicely balancing harshness and softness, depending on the nature of those to whom he spoke, and those who he discussed in writing.
My sense is that Joe’s work will increasingly be appreciated, respected, and loved as time passes. –A true gentle giant.