Category: Blog (Page 1 of 2)
Chapter 10 2-1-Q
In chapter 10 of “The Swerve” a detail from the chapter is the exploration of how ideas spread among thinkers in the Renaissance. Greenblatt talks about the poem’s view of the universe. How it focuses on the pursuit of pleasure, and its challenge of the fear of death resonated with and influenced many important people of that time. Another detail is how Poggio found a copy of “On the Nature of Things” in a German monastery. This finding was brought back into circulation work that had been lost for centuries. It also talks about how the idea began to challenge how people viewed the medieval world.
A relation to text is previously in the book it had talked about this writing had changed the way people viewed the Renaissance and how people wanted to live their lives.
A question I have is if writing like “On the Nature of things” was found today would it change anything in the world?
During my explorations of making my podcast, I found out certain things about my major that I did not know about. In my podcast episode, I focus mainly on the writing track of English as that is the track I am on, as I am interested in Journalism. I talked a little bit about what I learned about the popular jobs that are among the English major. Learning about what most jobs English majors get into and learning about the decline in editors was something interesting I had learned. My Interview with the chief editor of the UNE student newspaper “The Bolt” gives insight into whether you want to double major if you are also interested in journalism. A big highlight for my podcast, I believe, is my interview with Jesse Miller, He was able to give great advice for people who want to take that next step into journalism. He discusses a good minor to take along with English and classes to help further your writing knowledge. Completing this project, I was able to learn so many things and get inspiration on what steps I should take to help me with my major when I graduate.
This chapter delves into how the poem “On the Nature of Things” began to spread through different cultures, philosophy and science. Greenblatt talked about how the poem challenged existing religious and philosophical set of beliefs, this led to promoting more of a human-centered worldview Greenblatt also discussed how thinkers like Giordano Bruna and Galileo were inspired by the view of the universe that the poem inspired. This chapter emphasizes the poem’s role in encouraging spirit of inquiry and skepticism.
A connection to the world I have is how certain writing today inspires the way people view the universe. For example an article people might read that might make them look at the world in a different way than how they did before.
A question I have is how many set of beliefs did the poem challenge?
Chapter 7 dives into the role that Poggio Bracciolini had and the role of his work. As he discovered the manuscript of Lucretius’s “De Rerum Natura”. Poggio ended up using the knowledge he had of Lucretius to argue for a more flexible and practical approach to politics, implying that even in a seemingly predetermined world, individuals can shape their destiny through unexpected choices and actions. By the author emphasizing individual agency in Lucretius’ atomic theory, Poggio subtly advocates for humanist ideas that value personal thought and action over strict hierarchical systems.
A connection to the world in this chapter is how it implies that in a predetermined world we can shape who we are and we can make our own choices on what we want.
A question I have from this chapter: How does Poggio’s discovery of Lucretius’ poem reflect the tensions between classical ideas and the emerging Renaissance humanism?
Chapter 6 of “The Swerve” talks about how “The nature of things” is more than just finding ancient text, it is more than that. It shows how this text created something for the modern world. It influenced the way of the Renaissance and the way the Renaissance was going. “Books were not only the repository of the past; they were the engines of change, the drivers of the future.” The rediscovery of the “On the Nature of Things” drove the transition from a medieval outlook governed by religious beliefs to a more human-focused perspective. This showed that it is more than a simple person finding a random ancient text. This text held ideas that changed the Renaissance.
A connection to the world in this text is the fact that just one idea, poem, text, or book can have the power to change the world. I look at people like Martin Luther King who had a dream and went after it and he made a mark on history.
A question I have after reading this chapter is if there was other undiscovered text that had to do with the redirection of the renaissance?
In chapter 5 of “The Swerve” by Stephan Greenblatt he talks about the impact of Epicurean philosophy on the renaissance. He says “The universe is not governed by a divine plan but is instead the result of random motions and interactions of atoms.” This quote shows the shift from medieval thinking to modern thinking and highlights the idea of the world being driven by natural laws. Another detail I really loved in chapter 5 was how the author talks about “On the Nature of Things” and how it talks about Epicurean thought revival. The quote “Death is nothing to us; when we are, death is not come, and when death is come, we are not.” shows how the poem addresses the fear people have of death. He shows that people have to learn to accept death.
A connection to the world, I think, would be how people are a part of religions. A reason why some people are a part of a religion is because they are afraid of what happens to them after they die, because nobody knows what happens. Being a part of a religion gives them a sense of comfort on knowing what is going to happen.
A question I have is, if people read Lucrious poem today, would it have a big effect on society as it did back then?
While doing this project, I was able to learn how to adjust sounds so that it fits my audio. I learned how to cut the audio and figure out what works best.
2 – Offer 2 Specific Details from the chapter. For each, ID/quote and add 3-8 sentences of your own explanation
A specific detail from chapter 3 was how the chapter highlighted the tension that was between the medieval church control and the humanist movement. The church had a strong grip on intellectual life, and often did care about texts and ideas that didn’t go with doctrines. The clash showed a bigger conflict between preservation of traditional religious authority and the pursuit of new knowledge that did end up fueling the renaissance. Another detail was how the church controlled education. Education was heavily influenced by religion. Which made it difficult for humanist ideas to have traction with academic circles. There is a quote that I feel shows a main idea that Lucretius has, “Nothing is to be feared from the gods; they do not intervene in our lives.” This quote shows that human life needs to be separated from religion that religion doesn’t control your life and to find happiness in the world around you and not in religion.
1 – Make 1 Connection to Self, to World, or to Text – or Extend by offering a little detail about something mentioned in the text (some light research needed to Extend)
A connection I made to self was the feeling of accomplishment. When Poggio found the manuscript he had to have felt a sense of accomplishment. That feeling is a similar feeling I get when I ace a test or write a good chapter for the book I have been writing. So accomplishment is something I connect to.
Q – Give us a Good Question to chew on – 1-3 sentences
A question I have is how did the manuscript Poggio found influence the Renaissance?
