Paper #1 assignment, due Wednesday, February 1 by 5pm

Honors EQ2

Paper #1: SEEING THE WAY

INTRO: For your first paper, I want you to think about how we describe or discuss something that really transcends language, and that we almost have to see, or experience, to truly understand. The Tao is so many things—both everything and nothing—which is too vast for our limited minds to contemplate. But like poetry itself, a metaphor can bridge the gap between the seen and unseen, the known and unknown. So what visual metaphor could help us grasp some aspect of the Tao te Ching and its elusive message toward finding the Way? What would be the perfect cover image to point to the true ‘moon’ of meaning?

PROMPT: I want you to find a work of art somewhere out in the world that you think provides a useful metaphor for seeing or describing one (or a few related) verses of the Tao te Ching. By “work of art” I mean one of the following:

·       A painting (famous or not)

·       A drawing or illustration (famous or not)

·       A poster or album cover

·       Comic book illustration (a cover or an individual frame)

·       A photograph

·       A sculpture

·       A building/structure

In other words, the work of art should be something we can see and contemplate/interpret. For your paper, I want you to do two things: (a) introduce the work in question by describing it and helping us ‘see’ it without the use of an image (please include an image in your paper, but you also have to describe it), and (b) using it to ‘read’ or interpret at least ONE of the verses in the book. You can do more than one verse, but you should focus primarily on one verse, and then perhaps use one-two other verses merely to back this reading up (since many of them are repetitive in nature). Be specific, and use the artwork as a visual metaphor; try to imagine that the work of art is literally based on this verse of the poem. What would it show us? What would it explain? What would it clarify?

REQUIREMENTS

·       This should be about 3 pages long double spaced, but you can do more (that’s a minimum).

·       You must describe the work of art to someone who has never seen it, and feel free to tell us why it moves you, or interests you—but make sure we can ‘see’ it (don’t rely on a picture).

·       You must quote from the poem and show us how individual lines can be seen in the work of art itself.

·       Try to explore and not worry about the grade: find a work that speaks to you, and think about how this work helps you see the ideas in the Tao te Ching

·       DUE WEDNESDAY, FEB. 1st BY 5pm (no class that day)