Wednesday, October 26, 2016

Poets United Midweek Motif ~ Neutrality / Objectivity




File:Disamina della verità obiettiva.jpg
"Close examination of unbiased truth"
Painting by 
William Girometti (Italy, 1979)
Photo 
Silvia Girometti (via Wikimedia)


“Surely, we want to be objective if that means telling the truth as we see it, not concealing information that may be embarrassing to our point of view. But we don’t want to be objective if it means pretending that ideas don’t play a part in the social struggles of our time, that we don’t take sides in those struggles.   Indeed, it is impossible to be neutral."


The opposite pole to narcissism is objectivity; it is the faculty to see other people and things as they are, objectively, and to be able to separate this objective picture from a picture which is formed by one's desires and fears.” 
― Erich FrommThe Art of Loving



File:Emoticon Face Neutral GE.png
Yellow Emoticon Neutral Face Button
by Granny Enchanted



  neutral countries
  disputed neutral countries
  historical neutral countries

Midweek Motif 
Neutrality / Objectivity


Neutrality and Objectivity are not equivalent, but they share the qualities of being relatively good or bad, possible or impossible and revealing or obscuring truth.  A neutral position is good in a yoga class, but bad in a debate.  Do you agree?

I picked this topic because today is a Celebration of Neutrality in Austria, one of several countries which have adopted a UN Declaration of Neutrality.  But as a member of the European Union, how neutral can and should it be?  


Your Challenge:  Create a new poem that explores one instance of neutrality or objectivity.  Try NOT to be either neutral or objective.

Excerpt from Goodbye to Tolerance

Related Poem Content Details

Genial poets, pink-faced   
earnest wits— 
you have given the world   
some choice morsels, 
gobbets of language presented 
as one presents T-bone steak 
and Cherries Jubilee.   
Goodbye, goodbye, 
                            I don’t care 
if I never taste your fine food again,   
neutral fellows, seers of every side.   
Tolerance, what crimes 
are committed in your name. 
. . . . 
(Read the rest HERE.)

Neutral Tones 

BY THOMAS HARDY

We stood by a pond that winter day,
And the sun was white, as though chidden of God,
And a few leaves lay on the starving sod;
     - They had fallen from an ash, and were gray.

Your eyes on me were as eyes that rove

Over tedious riddles of years ago;
And some words played between us to and fro
     On which lost the more by our love.

The smile on your mouth was the deadest thing

Alive enough to have strength to die;
And a grin of bitterness swept thereby
     Like an ominous bird-a-wing...

Since then, keen lessons that love deceives,

And wrings with wrong, have shaped to me
Your face, and the God curst sun, and a tree,
     And a pond edged with grayish leaves.





Please share your new poem using Mr. Linky below and visit others in the spirit of the community.



(Next week Susan's Midweek Motif will be ~ The Day of the Dead.)


12 comments:

  1. Hey everyone,

    Phew! I do believe this prompt triggered heavy emotions.. sharing my poem "middle-of-road" thank you Susan as ever for inspiring us all.


    Lots of love,
    Sanaa

    ReplyDelete
  2. We should read some interesting poems this week, I think!
    Thanks, Susan.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes! Even with the few I have read so far I am moved. And I am writing! Thanks, Nicholas.

      Delete
  3. Sorry it is hard to be neutral locked in this place but thank you for hosting us

    ReplyDelete
  4. Midweek already,this is good, a serious day to poem

    much love...

    ReplyDelete
  5. Great post I love the quotes and poems I brought I hopefully objective poem

    ReplyDelete
  6. Am sorry, for the latest of my poem, but am having trouble seeing Mr Linky, on the library computers. Thus have to use a cyber-cafe computers. Given this problem, I will be using anyone leaves a response, as my guide in responding back.

    ReplyDelete
  7. i experienced the book "Remember, Be Here Now" by Ram Das (aka;Dr. Richard Alpert)1971, to escape oneself, being selfless, and becoming that which one is sitting in front of, is becoming 'one'. this is niether neutral or objective

    ReplyDelete
  8. Good evening, fellow Poets,

    Susan, this prompt was challenging! Looking forward to visiting everyone, to read their 'take' on it.

    Have a wonderfully relaxing weekend, all.

    Poppy

    ReplyDelete

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