Home › Groups › EcoLit 313 ›

A Footprint

rachelr's picture
Submitted by rachelr on Wed, 10/03/2012 - 3:29pm

Here is what I focused on (sound, sight, thoughts) this damp, misty morning. "What's in a name? That which we call a rose. By any other name would smell as sweet." Writing or speaking a word too many times can make it look or sound strange- wrong. What is in a name?

Groups:

Comments

rachelr's picture

Torn

Submitted by rachelr on Thu, 10/04/2012 - 11:33am.

I'm not sure... maybe if things weren't all named we wouldn't do what Le Guin warns about in her story where the trees are called trees, even though they might be something else. Naming is comforting- I get frustrated when I can't find the words to describe something, but then again sometimes there just aren't the words, or the words aren't enough. Maybe if we can't name something it is more special, because it makes each person's experience more unique and less influenced by others. 

et502's picture

photographs - problems of representing

Submitted by et502 on Fri, 10/05/2012 - 10:31am.

This makes me think of taking pictures during a party - you want to fully experience the party, but also document/represent what you are experiencing so you can look back, remember. Is it possible to do both at the same time? Maybe the act of naming/photographing/categorizing detracts from our ability to participate - it a statement that something is 'other than' myself, a way to create distance. So I guess I'm agreeing with your final statement - that leaving something undocumented makes it more unique. 

Smacholdt's picture

This is a neat way to

Submitted by Smacholdt on Thu, 10/04/2012 - 8:58am.

This is a neat way to represent your site. It's a vivid reminder of how present humans are in "nature." Do you think that if everything we saw wasn't named (every plant, animal, etc.) it would make the world more special, or less so? 

Post new comment

The content of this field is kept private and will not be shown publicly.
CAPTCHA
This question is for testing whether you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.

Narrative is determined not by a desire to narrate but by a desire to exchange. (Roland Barthes, S/Z)

What's New? Subscribe to Serendip Studio

Recent Group Comments