I was thinking of the quote “ Description is revelation “ from Seamus
Heaney's poem ' Fosterage' and wondering about the meaning and import of
this to what we try to do here. Description of what kind is revelation of
what I wondered?
I think it is meant to say that how we describe an inanimate thing or
commonplace happening might be revelation of the mood and temper of the poet
as observer/reporter.
For instance, and a ‘for instance’ is often more convincing than yards of
wordage,
I can say:
The automatic door opened.
That is a simple enough statement, truthful and terse, it describes an
action but it is I suggest flat and contributes little of poetic value.
The automatic door hissed open.
The automatic door of the bordello whispered open with a welcoming sigh..
The automatic door of the hospital opened with a malicious hiss.
The automatic doors of the hotel opened with an obsequious hiss
All describe the same or similar event but set an atmosphere that is part of
the place and part of the writer’s response to an event in the place. They
are a revelation of something other than the opening of a door.
What do people think ? Is this what the quote meant??
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