While reading “Lenses”, I thought that it was about how the essence of a person can be seen her childhood, up to her grown years. Although Dillard does mention that one does change, for example, she says that when she was about “twelve, [she felt] immortal and invulnerable” (105), yet, when she grows up, she feels up rather “lost”, meaning that she does not feel that she can do anything she wants and be okay; things like changing a light bulb of 5 watts into one of 75. Although her personality somewhat changes during these years, one can see that Dillard’s love for science and nature always is present in her life. It is important to note how important her senses are to her since at the beginning, she is basically just seeing through the microscope but during her older years, she is able to deepen and strengthen those senses as she can then “hear the blur” (108) of the swans’ wings as well as see them “in front of the mountain” (108). -Mariale
I believe, in this case that the real message is other. When she uses the metaphor of the light change, she refers that as we try to do things for the best, they might turn out to be worst for you. For example, as Dillard quoted "they were drying up. I burnt out or broke my little five-watt bulb right away. To replace it, I rigged an old table lamp laid on its side; the table lamp carried a seventy-five watt bulb." This quote shows us that she replaced her bulb for the other one because her specimen were dying, therefore, she changed the bulb, but this new bulb was too strong and her "eyeball itself would start drying up." meaning that as she tried to things for the best, the negative externality was that her eyeball was getting hurt. Felipe
Felipe, I found it very interesting how we both discussed about the lenses, yet we did not talk about swans, which is what the whole essay is about. I think that the bigger meaning of all of this piece is love; I basically saw this because swans are symbols of love and romanticism. This relates to the way that Dillard saw them through her binoculars because love is a precious thing that takes time in order to realize it is there and that it does, in fact exist. Dillard focuses so closely on the details; were they “dazed” and how their “necks [were] long and relaxed, alternately beating their wide wings and gliding” (108). This shows that Dillard does not only focus on what they do but also in what manner they do things; in a relaxed or stressed way, etc. At the end of the piece, the “whistling swans” (109) swim away, together; and that is what love is all about; being able to work things out together, paying close attention to details because if one just lets the love be without any effort, then the people may not be able to swim together as they do not know each others’ strengths or weaknesses. -Mariale
"You get used to looking through lenses; it is an acquired skill." (104) this is how Dillard starts off her essay. This quote summarizes the whole essay due to that the deeper meaning of the essay is that looking beyond the physical is something that one caries inside but slowly reveals it. As you said, the swans are a symbol for love but the whole idea of looking at love through a common long necked flying animal is because Dillard tries to explain that we should take every detail into account because everything is important in every occasion, even the smallest and simplest idea or detail is important. The last comparison Dillard made is also peculiar. When she says “They swam as fast as rotifers: two whistling swans, infinitesimal”(109) she means that swans where trying to escape and where incredibly fast because her rotifers “were drying up” (105) and fighted for their life’s by swimming fast and trying to escape, but they were not able to escape. Is Dillard trying to make a connection between dying specimen and the animal of romanticism and love? Felipe
While reading “Lenses”, I thought that it was about how the essence of a person can be seen her childhood, up to her grown years. Although Dillard does mention that one does change, for example, she says that when she was about “twelve, [she felt] immortal and invulnerable” (105), yet, when she grows up, she feels up rather “lost”, meaning that she does not feel that she can do anything she wants and be okay; things like changing a light bulb of 5 watts into one of 75. Although her personality somewhat changes during these years, one can see that Dillard’s love for science and nature always is present in her life. It is important to note how important her senses are to her since at the beginning, she is basically just seeing through the microscope but during her older years, she is able to deepen and strengthen those senses as she can then “hear the blur” (108) of the swans’ wings as well as see them “in front of the mountain” (108).
ReplyDelete-Mariale
I believe, in this case that the real message is other. When she uses the metaphor of the light change, she refers that as we try to do things for the best, they might turn out to be worst for you. For example, as Dillard quoted "they were drying up. I burnt out or broke my little five-watt bulb right away. To replace it, I rigged an old table lamp laid on its side; the table lamp carried a seventy-five watt bulb." This quote shows us that she replaced her bulb for the other one because her specimen were dying, therefore, she changed the bulb, but this new bulb was too strong and her "eyeball itself would start drying up." meaning that as she tried to things for the best, the negative externality was that her eyeball was getting hurt. Felipe
ReplyDeleteFelipe,
ReplyDeleteI found it very interesting how we both discussed about the lenses, yet we did not talk about swans, which is what the whole essay is about. I think that the bigger meaning of all of this piece is love; I basically saw this because swans are symbols of love and romanticism. This relates to the way that Dillard saw them through her binoculars because love is a precious thing that takes time in order to realize it is there and that it does, in fact exist. Dillard focuses so closely on the details; were they “dazed” and how their “necks [were] long and relaxed, alternately beating their wide wings and gliding” (108). This shows that Dillard does not only focus on what they do but also in what manner they do things; in a relaxed or stressed way, etc. At the end of the piece, the “whistling swans” (109) swim away, together; and that is what love is all about; being able to work things out together, paying close attention to details because if one just lets the love be without any effort, then the people may not be able to swim together as they do not know each others’ strengths or weaknesses.
-Mariale
"You get used to looking through lenses; it is an acquired skill." (104) this is how Dillard starts off her essay. This quote summarizes the whole essay due to that the deeper meaning of the essay is that looking beyond the physical is something that one caries inside but slowly reveals it. As you said, the swans are a symbol for love but the whole idea of looking at love through a common long necked flying animal is because Dillard tries to explain that we should take every detail into account because everything is important in every occasion, even the smallest and simplest idea or detail is important.
ReplyDeleteThe last comparison Dillard made is also peculiar. When she says “They swam as fast as rotifers: two whistling swans, infinitesimal”(109) she means that swans where trying to escape and where incredibly fast because her rotifers “were drying up” (105) and fighted for their life’s by swimming fast and trying to escape, but they were not able to escape. Is Dillard trying to make a connection between dying specimen and the animal of romanticism and love?
Felipe
nice
ReplyDelete