coconutoil63
New Member
Hi guys
we had to do an interview for our Area of Study and the question was along the lines of:
"You are the radio presenter of a program which specialises in Literature and Fine Arts and today you will be interviewing a guest speaker who has come to talk to discuss the topic : "Therapeutic Mind Travels"
And then we had to write an interview with out texts,
- i did :
frost at midnight
kubla khan
midsummers night dream
journey to the interior
memento
Here it is, and i would appreciate feedback !! thanks people!
We would like to welcome you to 93.4am, the radio station home to Literature and Fine Arts. I’m Karl and today we have a special guest speaker with us, Professor Snodgrass from Cambridge University who will be discussing with us the topic of “Therapeutic Properties of Mind Travel”.
Karl: Good morning to you Professor, welcome to the show.
Snodgrass: Why thank you, great to be here.
Karl: Before we start, I was wondering what it is that interests you when studying this particular aspect of literature?
Snodgrass: I have forever been fascinated with the ways in which one can travel into the realm of the imagination and embark on something so fascinating and extravagant that they are lost in thought. One embarks on a journey, an imaginative journey through the mind. Journeys are such universal and liberating experiences that are incessantly growing and not only do they enable and individual to experience wondrous things, they acquire a greater knowledge of themselves and their place in the wider world.
Karl: Well you’re certainly fascinating me! You mentioned that you saw mind travel as an imaginary journey?
Snodgrass: Oh absolutely, imaginary journeys are those that allow the mind to travel to any location in space or time, without the body having to go anywhere. They represent a sense of freedom, where you can think in any way and most importantly be anyone. That is what makes them so therapeutic! The imagination is unlimited and so anything is possible.
Karl: Fantastic. So professor, what would you say are some classic examples of therapeutic mind travels?
Snodgrass: There are so many I don’t really know where to begin, although I must say, my personal favorites would have to be Coleridge’s poems “Frost at Midnight” and “Kubla Khan”.
Karl: Please, go on.
Snodgrass: As a romantic poet, Coleridge revels in the power of the imagination when inspired by nature. He celebrates the pantheistic romantic theory, perceiving God in all of nature articulated through the use of strong imagery and often juxtaposition. Already there is such a therapeutic tone to that as he emphasis the theory that in order to gain a greater understanding of yourself, ideally you should have an understanding of God. I mean, it is so evident in the first line of the poem, “the frost performs its secret ministry” evoking a tranquil and peaceful tone emitting a therapeutic atmosphere.
Karl: It does create a calm atmosphere doesn’t it? What would you say are some themes in the poem?
Snodgrass: Yes. The poem epitomizes two romantic themes, the inspiration of nature and the nighttime realm of the imagination, this clearly being a prime focus throughout most of Coleridge’s work.
Karl: What is the poem about?
Snodgrass: Set in the calm atmosphere during the tranquility of the night, the eerie silence and his child sleeping beside him leads the persona into meditative thoughts. “Abtruser musings, save that at my side”. The use of sibilance creates a contemplative state for the responder, enabling the responder to share the spiritual, emotional and physiological aspects of the imaginative journey. The poem begins with the present and meanders through Coleridge’s negative childhood. The imaginative journey can be seen as being incongruent, yet also have a cyclic nature. It then meanders through to his hops and visions for his son’s future where he first began purporting the premise that present and future journeys are built on past e. It then meanders through to his hops and visions for his son’s future where he first began purporting the premise that present and future journeys are built on past experiences.
Karl: Can you give us an example?
Snodgrass: Well, the confinement Coleridge experiences in his education is illustrated through the negative tone. “I gazed upon the bars”, he was educated by the “stern preceptor” and he reminisces about the meaningless of his education as his eyes were “fixed with mock study”.
Karl: And is this poem any similar to the other as you mentioned before?
Snodgrass: “Kubla Khan” is an ode written in praise of the imagination and the ultimate state of euphoria it offers travelers. It is similar to Frost at Midnight in that it also demonstrates his romantic pantheistic philosophy in emulating the notions of rhyme and rhythm. Reoccurring imaginative elements are evident in the poem, evoking a therapeutic atmosphere in creating a fantastic journey through an enticing and exotic land.
Karl: What do you think inspired Coleridge to write these poems?
Snodgrass: I think Coleridge was inspired by his own creative genius and driven by a great leader who was cultivated and had a thirst for new ideas. The line “five miles meandering with a mazy motion” can be interpreted indeed by being therapeutic, the “m” sound creating the imagery of the winding river on a imaginative journey with Coleridge.
Karl: All I know is that this Coleridge character really knows how to create a
perfect atmosphere! He could even take my job!
Snodgrass: Haha, yes Coleridge was very clever indeed in forming his theories and ideas.
Karl: So what is the main message in Kubla Khan?
Snodgrass: Well, Coleridge teaches us that Imaginative Journeys are not always fantastical and indulgent and that there can be a dangerous side to them leading to a greater understanding of the world and nature. Contradictory ideas can be seen in the paradoxical juxtaposition of “sunny” and “ice” creating tension.
Karl: Well I certainly understand where Coleridge is coming from! Lets move away from Coleridge, are their movies, books or any other sources that may link to therapeutic mind travels?
Snodgrass: There is a text, well you would not believe it, in a year 12 stimulus booklet called “Journey to the Interior” by Margaret Atwood, reflecting how inhibitions can hinder a journey, relating to the ways in which the mind can react to an obstacle where the whole notion of fight or flights of fantasy are evoked. “It is easier for me to loose my way here than in other landscapes”. Journey to the interior reflects the inconclusive effects of the imaginary journey and the meandering of thoughts as part of the process.
Karl: would you say that the whole process of meandering through thoughts can be seen as therapeutic as one journeys through the imagination?
Snodgrass: You could not have said it any better! Unlike Coleridge’s liberating sentiments whose persona has transcended the obstacles of physiological disorientation, Atwood leads responders to a greater understanding of the dangerousness of the mind, however it is this conflicting tension that creates an imaginative journey.
Karl: What do you think is the main point being made in this text?
Snodgrass: Well, through rhetorical questions “Have I been walking in circles again”, accentuating the cyclic nature of journeys and the juxtaposition of light and dark images to represent the conscious self as opposed to the unconscious self lost in the void of darkness, it is clear that there is no destination apart from your own self, illustrating the imaginative journeys as the process ultimately leading to an inner journey “there are no destinations apart from this”.
Karl: So it can therefore be seen as a didactic experience?
Snodgrass: Precisely.
Karl: So our involvement in imaginary journeys leads us to a greater understanding where our knowledge is continually growing.
Snodgrass: Yes, and if I may say, that can be very therapeutic in that we are lured into sharing them.
Karl: So do you know of any plays, books or movies?
Snodgrass: A Midsummer Nights Dream by Shakespeare being a play within a play moves away from the action where day becomes night and the rulers leave the stage to be replaced by fairies. Shakespeare truly creates a therapeutic atmosphere, not only physical, but also in the mind when the lovers enter the forest providing responders with a form of escapism, bringing a sense of variety and stirring and imaginative journey, away from reality. Shakespeare presents the imaginary journey as didactic leading the protagonists to reach self actualization by overcoming obstacles.
Karl: You mentioned something about a forest?
Snodgrass: By entering the forest, the four lovers conquer obstacles both internal and external, being catalysts for journeys caused by dramatic irony. Dreams are alluded to through leit motifs and are linked to the bizarre, magical mishaps in the forest, as this allows events to occur without explanation and the normal sense of flow to be distorted. The whole notion of ‘Dreams’ clearly emphasizes the fantastical and therapeutic tone and setting of this play.
Karl: Can you give us any examples from the play?
Snodgrass: The Fairy King’s servant Puck addresses the audience “If we shadows have offended, think but this, and all is mended” really emphasizing an imaginary journey.
Karl: Shakespeare was always clever in doing that.
Snodgrass: Oh precisely, he creates a sense of illusion and gauzy fragility which is crucial in creating an atmosphere of fantasy and mystery. He exhorts his audience to explore ones own creative genius through natural stimuli and revel in the power of the imagination, and you cannot get anymore therapeutic than that!
Karl: No I’m sure you cant! Just as Coleridge is inspired by his own creative genius when writing “Kubla Khan”, I think Shakespeare has done the same with “A Midsummer Nights Dream”
Snodgrass: I agree
Karl: So we have heard a great deal about poems and plays, are there any movies that could relate to a therapeutic mind travel?
Snodgrass: “Momento” directed by Chris Nolan is a postmodern film whose form and incongruent structure reveals it’s meaning more explicitly then it’s content.
Karl: I think I have heard of this movie, could you say that it too is an imaginative journey?
Snodgrass: Absolutely, unlike Coleridge’s premise that the imagination is liberating and enthralling and above all purposeful, ‘Momento” looks at how different perspectives shape the purposefulness of the journey highlighting the individuality and uniqueness of the imagination.
Karl: So what exactly happens?
Snodgrass: Lenny, played by Guy Pearce, the protagonist who’s imaginative journey we share, suffers from short term memory loss which proves to be an obstacle for his journey and a catalyst for future journeys as he struggles to make meaning of the fragments he does remember of those he has forgotten. Past memories are represented as leit motifs cementing the fragments together. It is so clear that it can be seen as being therapeutic as Lenny’s imaginative journey is stirred by the thoughts in his mind, feeding our imagination, and therefore evoking a therapeutic atmosphere.
Karl: Sounds awesome, I might go hire it!
Snodgrass: Oh do, its fantastic.
Karl: Haha, all jokes aside, can you give us an example from this movie?
Snodgrass: The Polaroid shots of the Discount Inn and the characters he meets, the tattoos which function as his “mementos” and his statement “ I have a condition”. Although to viewers the nature of his cyclic journey and futile quest to find his wife’s killer is purposeless, we have to take into account the notion that the journey is more important than the destination, and to him it is the center of his life. It’s actually really entertaining, just when the audience believes Lenny’s quest has been fulfilled, Lenny’s final statement “Now where was I” implies we are back at the beginning.
Karl: And I guess you could say that because of its cyclic nature and sense of
well as you put it, starting back at the beginning, it could seriously act as a form of escapism for the responder in leaving the norm and traveling with Lenny, empathizing with him because of his “condition”. I can see that as being therapeutic.
Snodgrass: That is a good point, it can certainly be seen as therapeutic because of his type of adventure and imaginative journey.
Karl: Well you have definitely given a great detailed analysis of some great examples. Enlightened responders to the mentioned texts can become emersed in the fictitious worlds through the successful techniques employed by the composers and in essence become co-travelers with the protagonists indulging in the experience, a therapeutic experience through the mind.
Snodgrass: Yes, through Coleridge readers become aware of the indulgent and powerful impact of ones imagination in both form as a form of escapism and creative genius, whereas the stimulus “Journey to the Interior” emphasizes the destructive power of the imagination devoid of meaningful purpose. “Memento” takes another path exploring how different perspectives on an imaginary journey can shape our purposefulness of the traveler in different contexts and conversely, “A Midsummer Nights Dream” focuses on the different trials and tribulations on an imaginative “romantic” tale. The whole notion of being ‘romantic’ along with all the other aspects of the imagination explored by these texts further the whole idea of mind travels being therapeutic.
Karl: Certainly is! Thank you so much for your time Professor, may your future travels be as therapeutic as you have indicated today.
Snodgrass: Thank you, likewise.
Karl: And to our listeners, happy travels not necessarily being physical, allow yourself to embark on a journey into the realm of the imagination, let it run wild and until next time, Goodbye.
we had to do an interview for our Area of Study and the question was along the lines of:
"You are the radio presenter of a program which specialises in Literature and Fine Arts and today you will be interviewing a guest speaker who has come to talk to discuss the topic : "Therapeutic Mind Travels"
And then we had to write an interview with out texts,
- i did :
frost at midnight
kubla khan
midsummers night dream
journey to the interior
memento
Here it is, and i would appreciate feedback !! thanks people!
We would like to welcome you to 93.4am, the radio station home to Literature and Fine Arts. I’m Karl and today we have a special guest speaker with us, Professor Snodgrass from Cambridge University who will be discussing with us the topic of “Therapeutic Properties of Mind Travel”.
Karl: Good morning to you Professor, welcome to the show.
Snodgrass: Why thank you, great to be here.
Karl: Before we start, I was wondering what it is that interests you when studying this particular aspect of literature?
Snodgrass: I have forever been fascinated with the ways in which one can travel into the realm of the imagination and embark on something so fascinating and extravagant that they are lost in thought. One embarks on a journey, an imaginative journey through the mind. Journeys are such universal and liberating experiences that are incessantly growing and not only do they enable and individual to experience wondrous things, they acquire a greater knowledge of themselves and their place in the wider world.
Karl: Well you’re certainly fascinating me! You mentioned that you saw mind travel as an imaginary journey?
Snodgrass: Oh absolutely, imaginary journeys are those that allow the mind to travel to any location in space or time, without the body having to go anywhere. They represent a sense of freedom, where you can think in any way and most importantly be anyone. That is what makes them so therapeutic! The imagination is unlimited and so anything is possible.
Karl: Fantastic. So professor, what would you say are some classic examples of therapeutic mind travels?
Snodgrass: There are so many I don’t really know where to begin, although I must say, my personal favorites would have to be Coleridge’s poems “Frost at Midnight” and “Kubla Khan”.
Karl: Please, go on.
Snodgrass: As a romantic poet, Coleridge revels in the power of the imagination when inspired by nature. He celebrates the pantheistic romantic theory, perceiving God in all of nature articulated through the use of strong imagery and often juxtaposition. Already there is such a therapeutic tone to that as he emphasis the theory that in order to gain a greater understanding of yourself, ideally you should have an understanding of God. I mean, it is so evident in the first line of the poem, “the frost performs its secret ministry” evoking a tranquil and peaceful tone emitting a therapeutic atmosphere.
Karl: It does create a calm atmosphere doesn’t it? What would you say are some themes in the poem?
Snodgrass: Yes. The poem epitomizes two romantic themes, the inspiration of nature and the nighttime realm of the imagination, this clearly being a prime focus throughout most of Coleridge’s work.
Karl: What is the poem about?
Snodgrass: Set in the calm atmosphere during the tranquility of the night, the eerie silence and his child sleeping beside him leads the persona into meditative thoughts. “Abtruser musings, save that at my side”. The use of sibilance creates a contemplative state for the responder, enabling the responder to share the spiritual, emotional and physiological aspects of the imaginative journey. The poem begins with the present and meanders through Coleridge’s negative childhood. The imaginative journey can be seen as being incongruent, yet also have a cyclic nature. It then meanders through to his hops and visions for his son’s future where he first began purporting the premise that present and future journeys are built on past e. It then meanders through to his hops and visions for his son’s future where he first began purporting the premise that present and future journeys are built on past experiences.
Karl: Can you give us an example?
Snodgrass: Well, the confinement Coleridge experiences in his education is illustrated through the negative tone. “I gazed upon the bars”, he was educated by the “stern preceptor” and he reminisces about the meaningless of his education as his eyes were “fixed with mock study”.
Karl: And is this poem any similar to the other as you mentioned before?
Snodgrass: “Kubla Khan” is an ode written in praise of the imagination and the ultimate state of euphoria it offers travelers. It is similar to Frost at Midnight in that it also demonstrates his romantic pantheistic philosophy in emulating the notions of rhyme and rhythm. Reoccurring imaginative elements are evident in the poem, evoking a therapeutic atmosphere in creating a fantastic journey through an enticing and exotic land.
Karl: What do you think inspired Coleridge to write these poems?
Snodgrass: I think Coleridge was inspired by his own creative genius and driven by a great leader who was cultivated and had a thirst for new ideas. The line “five miles meandering with a mazy motion” can be interpreted indeed by being therapeutic, the “m” sound creating the imagery of the winding river on a imaginative journey with Coleridge.
Karl: All I know is that this Coleridge character really knows how to create a
perfect atmosphere! He could even take my job!
Snodgrass: Haha, yes Coleridge was very clever indeed in forming his theories and ideas.
Karl: So what is the main message in Kubla Khan?
Snodgrass: Well, Coleridge teaches us that Imaginative Journeys are not always fantastical and indulgent and that there can be a dangerous side to them leading to a greater understanding of the world and nature. Contradictory ideas can be seen in the paradoxical juxtaposition of “sunny” and “ice” creating tension.
Karl: Well I certainly understand where Coleridge is coming from! Lets move away from Coleridge, are their movies, books or any other sources that may link to therapeutic mind travels?
Snodgrass: There is a text, well you would not believe it, in a year 12 stimulus booklet called “Journey to the Interior” by Margaret Atwood, reflecting how inhibitions can hinder a journey, relating to the ways in which the mind can react to an obstacle where the whole notion of fight or flights of fantasy are evoked. “It is easier for me to loose my way here than in other landscapes”. Journey to the interior reflects the inconclusive effects of the imaginary journey and the meandering of thoughts as part of the process.
Karl: would you say that the whole process of meandering through thoughts can be seen as therapeutic as one journeys through the imagination?
Snodgrass: You could not have said it any better! Unlike Coleridge’s liberating sentiments whose persona has transcended the obstacles of physiological disorientation, Atwood leads responders to a greater understanding of the dangerousness of the mind, however it is this conflicting tension that creates an imaginative journey.
Karl: What do you think is the main point being made in this text?
Snodgrass: Well, through rhetorical questions “Have I been walking in circles again”, accentuating the cyclic nature of journeys and the juxtaposition of light and dark images to represent the conscious self as opposed to the unconscious self lost in the void of darkness, it is clear that there is no destination apart from your own self, illustrating the imaginative journeys as the process ultimately leading to an inner journey “there are no destinations apart from this”.
Karl: So it can therefore be seen as a didactic experience?
Snodgrass: Precisely.
Karl: So our involvement in imaginary journeys leads us to a greater understanding where our knowledge is continually growing.
Snodgrass: Yes, and if I may say, that can be very therapeutic in that we are lured into sharing them.
Karl: So do you know of any plays, books or movies?
Snodgrass: A Midsummer Nights Dream by Shakespeare being a play within a play moves away from the action where day becomes night and the rulers leave the stage to be replaced by fairies. Shakespeare truly creates a therapeutic atmosphere, not only physical, but also in the mind when the lovers enter the forest providing responders with a form of escapism, bringing a sense of variety and stirring and imaginative journey, away from reality. Shakespeare presents the imaginary journey as didactic leading the protagonists to reach self actualization by overcoming obstacles.
Karl: You mentioned something about a forest?
Snodgrass: By entering the forest, the four lovers conquer obstacles both internal and external, being catalysts for journeys caused by dramatic irony. Dreams are alluded to through leit motifs and are linked to the bizarre, magical mishaps in the forest, as this allows events to occur without explanation and the normal sense of flow to be distorted. The whole notion of ‘Dreams’ clearly emphasizes the fantastical and therapeutic tone and setting of this play.
Karl: Can you give us any examples from the play?
Snodgrass: The Fairy King’s servant Puck addresses the audience “If we shadows have offended, think but this, and all is mended” really emphasizing an imaginary journey.
Karl: Shakespeare was always clever in doing that.
Snodgrass: Oh precisely, he creates a sense of illusion and gauzy fragility which is crucial in creating an atmosphere of fantasy and mystery. He exhorts his audience to explore ones own creative genius through natural stimuli and revel in the power of the imagination, and you cannot get anymore therapeutic than that!
Karl: No I’m sure you cant! Just as Coleridge is inspired by his own creative genius when writing “Kubla Khan”, I think Shakespeare has done the same with “A Midsummer Nights Dream”
Snodgrass: I agree
Karl: So we have heard a great deal about poems and plays, are there any movies that could relate to a therapeutic mind travel?
Snodgrass: “Momento” directed by Chris Nolan is a postmodern film whose form and incongruent structure reveals it’s meaning more explicitly then it’s content.
Karl: I think I have heard of this movie, could you say that it too is an imaginative journey?
Snodgrass: Absolutely, unlike Coleridge’s premise that the imagination is liberating and enthralling and above all purposeful, ‘Momento” looks at how different perspectives shape the purposefulness of the journey highlighting the individuality and uniqueness of the imagination.
Karl: So what exactly happens?
Snodgrass: Lenny, played by Guy Pearce, the protagonist who’s imaginative journey we share, suffers from short term memory loss which proves to be an obstacle for his journey and a catalyst for future journeys as he struggles to make meaning of the fragments he does remember of those he has forgotten. Past memories are represented as leit motifs cementing the fragments together. It is so clear that it can be seen as being therapeutic as Lenny’s imaginative journey is stirred by the thoughts in his mind, feeding our imagination, and therefore evoking a therapeutic atmosphere.
Karl: Sounds awesome, I might go hire it!
Snodgrass: Oh do, its fantastic.
Karl: Haha, all jokes aside, can you give us an example from this movie?
Snodgrass: The Polaroid shots of the Discount Inn and the characters he meets, the tattoos which function as his “mementos” and his statement “ I have a condition”. Although to viewers the nature of his cyclic journey and futile quest to find his wife’s killer is purposeless, we have to take into account the notion that the journey is more important than the destination, and to him it is the center of his life. It’s actually really entertaining, just when the audience believes Lenny’s quest has been fulfilled, Lenny’s final statement “Now where was I” implies we are back at the beginning.
Karl: And I guess you could say that because of its cyclic nature and sense of
well as you put it, starting back at the beginning, it could seriously act as a form of escapism for the responder in leaving the norm and traveling with Lenny, empathizing with him because of his “condition”. I can see that as being therapeutic.
Snodgrass: That is a good point, it can certainly be seen as therapeutic because of his type of adventure and imaginative journey.
Karl: Well you have definitely given a great detailed analysis of some great examples. Enlightened responders to the mentioned texts can become emersed in the fictitious worlds through the successful techniques employed by the composers and in essence become co-travelers with the protagonists indulging in the experience, a therapeutic experience through the mind.
Snodgrass: Yes, through Coleridge readers become aware of the indulgent and powerful impact of ones imagination in both form as a form of escapism and creative genius, whereas the stimulus “Journey to the Interior” emphasizes the destructive power of the imagination devoid of meaningful purpose. “Memento” takes another path exploring how different perspectives on an imaginary journey can shape our purposefulness of the traveler in different contexts and conversely, “A Midsummer Nights Dream” focuses on the different trials and tribulations on an imaginative “romantic” tale. The whole notion of being ‘romantic’ along with all the other aspects of the imagination explored by these texts further the whole idea of mind travels being therapeutic.
Karl: Certainly is! Thank you so much for your time Professor, may your future travels be as therapeutic as you have indicated today.
Snodgrass: Thank you, likewise.
Karl: And to our listeners, happy travels not necessarily being physical, allow yourself to embark on a journey into the realm of the imagination, let it run wild and until next time, Goodbye.
