The Apollonian and Dionysian dimensions of artistic expression

¶ … Art of Being Human

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Why study Arts and Humanities? Benefits of the Arts and Humanities

I believe the study of humanities and arts is vital to offsetting usefulness and the more idealistic issues pertaining to quality of life (QOL). Hence, I wish to emphasize the "does-ness" as well as "is-ness" of this discipline, which actually represents a kind of Horatian appreciation and teaching doctrine. On the usefulness side (i.e., does-ness), I would emphasize the importance of acquiring critical and independent thinking skills, reading astutely and powerfully, talking eloquently, and writing accurately and logically. On the is-ness or QOL side, my emphasis would be on the fact that arts take one into the world of imagination conceived by diverse minds, allowing us to comprehend the way others lead their lives. A man is defined by the literature he reads, the performances he attends, and the places he visits. These elements are just as much a part of him, of his is-ness or memories, as his life experiences and cultures.

Besides the "pleasure for pleasure's sake" derived out of entering into the minds and worlds of fellow human beings through art, this activity provides one with a broader context to mull over how one must live as well as face and comprehend current and past personal problems (Schwarz, 2013).

Apollonian and Dionysian

While one can easily perceive Dionysian and Apollonian personalities as being different, I believe these are nothing but opposite sides of a coin, mainly due to the reason that, under most circumstances, one follows the other for the effective accomplishment of any given endeavor. Apollo signifies inspiration or thought. I'm a musician sitting idling at home and I'm struck with inspiration -- a melody that suddenly starts playing in my mind or the lyrics to a song that just begin flowing. This represents artistic idea. Meanwhile, Dionysus refers to the Greek God of ecstasy, signifying the 'feeling' component of humanity (Janaro & C, 2017). Therefore, as a musician, I utilize my song or Apollonian idea, which I play before an audience. This constitutes a spiritual experience for me, as the song mesmerizes listeners. Hence, Apollonian denotes the idea, whereas Dionysus denotes the impact of my idea on others.

Post 1 Reply (Erik Roberts)

In my opinion, he was forceful as well. His reply appears to be clever, spot-on and even sarcastic although the subject was definitely not amusing. Picasso employed the medium he was well-versed with to express his negative attitude towards wars -- he used paints and brushes, rather than weapons, to convey his contempt for war. He claimed the moving painting was no more than a plea to humanity to think about the massacred innocents (both humans and animals). The picture depicting the act of war was utilized for telling the world a story of the evil consequences of war as well as relating an actual story to the German military officer. The painting, however, is not specific to the 20th century Civil War in Spain; it shows us an image of all wars that have ever happened and all the wars to come (Deutsche Welle, 2007). The ability to move hearts is one among the forceful aspects of humanities and arts.

Post 2

A common way to define archetypes is: archetypes are behavioral patterns. The above definition is certainly not untrue. However, describing them as mere behavioral patterns is akin to saying "computers are like typewriters." Sure, computers can generate typewritten letters; however, in the current era, computers play a major role in all aspects of life, right from knowledge distribution and communications to complex surgical equipment. Likewise, archetypal patterns impact all facets of human life -- how one looks, feels, thinks, and reacts to occurrences, one's value systems, the kind of individuals one draws into one's life, and the milestones and events in one's life.

My focus will be predominantly on the archetype of the "Hero." While heroes are invariably protagonists, protagonists do not invariably behave like heroes. Traditionally, heroes were always male, although, fortunately, modern literature has increasingly been featuring female heroes like Lisbeth Salander and Katniss Everdeen. Heroes pursue an ultimate goal, the path to which is strewn with obstacles that they need to surmount. They are generally morally good, although this innate goodness will probably be challenged on multiple occasions during the course of the tale. A hero's capability of remaining true to him/herself in the face of trials, and their role as saviors of the world and its constituent beings, is actually what makes him/her heroic (Scribendi, 2016).

Reply to post 1 (Joseph Noto)

This is what I like best about a story -- it has so many lessons to teach the one who seeks them. Initially, he seems like a bored attention-seeker wishing for some action to relieve him of boredom. However, if one thinks deeper, one will realize he's also a tester looking to see whether or not the system is functional. He was informed that he could summon aid by crying wolf. The logical thing to do was test this theory and not wait for a wolf to actually arrive before one sees whether one's call for aid is answered or not. The first time around, it worked. But did it actually work or was it mere fluke? He tested the system again, and a positive outcome proved that it certainly did work. But what was the ultimate outcome? The system worked only in the test phase but failed upon launch. He was victimized by the very system tested by him.

Reply to post 1(Joyce Miyake)

I have always liked Icarus' tale of flying too near to the sun. It demonstrates the perils of conceit. The moral here is adopting a middle course -- the story cautions readers against heedlessly pursuing instant gratification. The Greek notion of Sophrosyne is stressed here, which etymologically implies self-control and healthy-mindedness driven by balance and knowledge. Icarus' flight teaches us the importance of moderation. The perils linked to flying "too low" (wings weighted down by the spray from sea water) or "too high" (meltdown of wax wings) caution one to not only recognize one's limits, but also remain within them.