-
Essay / Aesthetic emotion in poetry - 1386
Emotions are evoked with the aim of freeing people from disturbing emotions. In cases of pity and fear, people tend to accumulate these feelings, which is harmful to the soul. In tragedy, however, the suffering we witness is not within our control and these emotions are easily released, thus relieving the excess from our souls. Tragedy transforms these painful emotions into “calmness of mind,” thus the emotional appeal of poetry leads to pleasure. Furthermore, aesthetic emotion in poetry results in pleasure. The reader and listener of the poem are encouraged, through figurative language, to visualize what is found in the real world. The vividness of the imaginary world experienced by the reader, poet, and listener generates new spiritual knowledge or understanding that provides pleasure (Berlant, p.189). Furthermore, melancholy as an aesthetic emotion is a source of pleasure. Melancholy involves a variety of emotions; a longing, a sadness, a feeling of uplift and even an elusive excitement. It has aspects of both pleasure and displeasure. The unpleasure aspect lies in the feeling of sorrow, fear of the unknown, loneliness and emptiness. The pleasant aspect consists entirely of thinking about elaborate illusions and happy memories. Melancholy is therefore deliberately sought by seeking isolation. In isolation, reflection deepens, which prolongs the pleasure. Dylan in his poem reveals cases of melancholy Gale, Cengage Learning,