This discussion has been closed.
Posted by U13744431 (U13744431) on Saturday, 21st March 2009
In another thread the works of Richard Dawkins were compared favourably with the poetry of the Psalms. I thought it would be interesting to have a look at some explicitly atheist poetry. Here鈥檚 the first:
It鈥檚 a bit of Rick, I鈥檓 afraid, but well worth a laugh.
Rick - the Next Generation:
, in reply to message 1.
Posted by Belle au bois dormant (U9706573) on Saturday, 21st March 2009
Sidley,
That is really terrible - worse than Rick as at least his was funny at the time. I'm assuming it's a joke, but all the same, what a disaster.
What about some poetry from poets who didn't believe in the established church - or rather had grievance about it - William Blake for instance?
Was William Blake an atheist? Genuine question.
This lad sounds like he doesn鈥檛 want his mother to hear what he鈥檚 up to:
Oddly passionate about nothing - sums up evangelical atheists to a tee.
, in reply to message 3.
Posted by Belle au bois dormant (U9706573) on Saturday, 21st March 2009
Actually, Richard Dawkins might well be able to write poetry - he has a good command of language and he seems very passionate. Haven't read any though -are they any good, would you say?
, in reply to message 5.
Posted by Belle au bois dormant (U9706573) on Saturday, 21st March 2009
The problem is not the 'being passionate about nothing' but the fact that they are writing about a set of beliefs - or what they believe in - they're not coming at it from a question.
Whether you are an atheist or not, you would not make good poetry with an opinion as a starting point.
That is really terrible - worse than Rick as at least his was funny at the time. I'm assuming it's a joke, but all the same, what a disaster.
听
No joke. that's not a straight face he's holding - he鈥檚 American.
Was William Blake an atheist? Genuine question.
听
If he was then I鈥檓 a goldfish.
, in reply to message 7.
Posted by Belle au bois dormant (U9706573) on Saturday, 21st March 2009
I rather hoped you would add to that question, Sidley by opening it out a bit more - e.g. some examples of artistic or poetic atheists please?
(Just a little request to someone who always quotes the posts in boxes)
Actually, Richard Dawkins might well be able to write poetry - he has a good command of language and he seems very passionate.
听
I might walk on the Moon because I鈥檓 quite good at maths and love looking at the stars.
Haven't read any though -are they any good, would you say?
听
I鈥檒l go with no good.
, in reply to message 7.
Posted by Belle au bois dormant (U9706573) on Saturday, 21st March 2009
Have you never seen Mike Myers doing his poetry slam? He also holds a straight face, but it's actually comedy. Loads of Americans with a sense of humour you know.....you mustn't believe everything you read....
Whether you are an atheist or not, you would not make good poetry with an opinion as a starting point.
听
Great point, delivered with impeccable style, and true of all evangelical atheist arguments. There鈥檚 a discussion on this board at the moment ostensibly about atheism but without any content on atheism at all. Lots on the Pope and religious believers and religion, but nothing about atheism. It鈥檚 as though millennia of thought has passed by these people without so much as a 鈥渉i, how are things鈥.
, in reply to message 9.
Posted by Belle au bois dormant (U9706573) on Saturday, 21st March 2009
You might walk on the moon and look at the stars, Sidley, but I don't think you would write good poetry as you have immediately gone for two howling clich茅s. But never mind, boxes and maths are more than enough to compensat.
I rather hoped you would add to that question, Sidley by opening it out a bit more - e.g. some examples of artistic or poetic atheists please?
听
You鈥檙e welcome to try but the name on the tin says 鈥淧oems鈥 not 鈥淧oets鈥. I can鈥檛 think of any great poets or artists who made great works of their atheism, can you? Serious question.
Religion, now that鈥檚 another kettle of fish. And loaves.
, in reply to message 11.
Posted by Belle au bois dormant (U9706573) on Saturday, 21st March 2009
If you want to make the whole board an intellectual then surely you should start by going for it yourself, Sidley. Also, maybe have some thought as to how people really are, in the real world - not everyone is.....
Clich茅s are bad? I must have missed the memo. Certainly, in junior school essay writing homework, but come on - I鈥檓 pretty reserved with the punctuation. Permit me some foible, won鈥檛 you.
, in reply to message 13.
Posted by Belle au bois dormant (U9706573) on Saturday, 21st March 2009
Now, that is a good OP.
"Examples of great poets or artists who made great works of their atheism?"
If you want to make the whole board an intellectual then surely you should start by going for it yourself, Sidley.
听
Only a fool would wish to be an intellectual.
Also, maybe have some thought as to how people really are, in the real world - not everyone is.....
听
This is the real world. I woke up this morning and everything.
, in reply to message 15.
Posted by Belle au bois dormant (U9706573) on Saturday, 21st March 2009
Clich茅s are very very very bad in poetry. It's known as 'lazy writing'.
You being a Mathematician is no excuse not to know that.
Now, that is a good OP.
"Examples of great poets or artists who made great works of their atheism?"
听
Go for it, as someone once said in the 1980s.
, in reply to message 17.
Posted by Belle au bois dormant (U9706573) on Saturday, 21st March 2009
Only a fool?
Ah, now, don't be bitter! It's great - you get to feel superior to everyone and stuff.
Mathematicians can be intellectuals - gone on, you know you want to..
Clich茅s are very very very bad in poetry. It's known as 'lazy writing'.
You being a Mathematician is no excuse not to know that.
听
Jolly good thing I wasn鈥檛 attempting poetry, then, but try doing maths without clich茅s.
, in reply to message 21.
Posted by Belle au bois dormant (U9706573) on Saturday, 21st March 2009
I have this dreadful feeling you do Sudokos Sidley.....the extra difficult ones - the ones that don't even have any grids - and probably throw them on the floor and stamp on them when you don't get them first time...
It's great - you get to feel superior to everyone and stuff.
听
I get that anyway. It鈥檚 existential.
Mathematicians can be intellectuals - gone on, you know you want to..
听
Get thee behind me, Erato.
, in reply to message 23.
Posted by Belle au bois dormant (U9706573) on Saturday, 21st March 2009
And with that little curse upon my head, I'm going outside in the sunshine - have fun, see you later.
I have this dreadful feeling you do Sudokos Sidley
听
It鈥檚 uncanny. I鈥檓 going to scarper before you figure out my inside leg.
I鈥檓 sure I heard that Orson Welles was dead.
Have you never seen Mike Myers doing his poetry slam? He also holds a straight face, but it's actually comedy. Loads of Americans with a sense of humour you know.....you mustn't believe everything you read....
听
Mike Myers is Canadian.
This is the real world. I woke up this morning and everything.听
Oh look, that butterfly just fell asleep again.
Oh look, that butterfly just fell asleep again.
听
It鈥檚 all good here in the Land of Infinite Fun.
, in reply to message 29.
Posted by Now Locking for a house (U3261819) on Saturday, 21st March 2009
I think I will chose to see any art that isn't illustrating a part of the bible as atheist art!
I'm sure many First World War poets became atheists. If they didn't, they should have. I'm not sure how good Communist artists were. I haven't seen enough of their art or close up.
I don't think Shakespeare was entirely convinced about religion or Jane Austen or several Victorian novelists. Did George Orwell have a faith or Aldous Huxley?
I think the lyrics of 'Imagine' are bluddy good poetry!
, in reply to message 30.
Posted by Now Locking for a house (U3261819) on Saturday, 21st March 2009
Some good stuff if you Google atheist poetry.
Wasn't Blake quite mad and nasty with it?
I think I will chose to see any art that isn't illustrating a part of the bible as atheist art!
听
That鈥檚 alright. I never liked Robert Mapplethorpe anyway.
I think the lyrics of 'Imagine' are bluddy good poetry!
听
Good for you! You stick to your guns there, chappy!
Some good stuff if you Google atheist poetry.
听
S鈥檉unny - that鈥檚 what I did.
Wasn't Blake quite mad and nasty with it?
听
They had Google back then?
, in reply to message 31.
Posted by Now Locking for a house (U3261819) on Saturday, 21st March 2009
Andrew Motion is an atheist. He's a good poet and doesn't want to write for the monarchy so that makes him a good man too.
Andrew Motion is an atheist. He's a good poet
听
I鈥檒l get right back to you just as soon as I鈥檝e finished laughing.
This particular purple fog deepens my conviction that the combination of atheism and cigarette-smoking is positively correlated with pretension.
Clearly a man concerned for his own legacy he鈥檚 decided to provide footage for his own televised retrospective documentaries. Does the USA have the equivalent of a South Bank show?
See if you can watch it through to the end without the aid of matchsticks.
, in reply to message 36.
Posted by Lady Trudie Tilney Glorfindel Maldini (U2222312) on Thursday, 26th March 2009
I know a miniscule amount about poetry but I thought the early 19C romantic poets were pioneers of atheism in verse?
Thu, 26 Mar 2009 12:51 GMT, in reply to ermintrude in message 37
Yup. Shelley was sent down from Oxford for writing in defence of atheism.
, in reply to message 36.
Posted by Now Locking for a house (U3261819) on Thursday, 26th March 2009
I imagine Jesus was another man concerned with his legacy!
I know a miniscule amount about poetry but I thought the early 19C romantic poets were pioneers of atheism in verse?
听
Some of their more miserable poems, I expect.
I imagine Jesus was another man concerned with his legacy!
听
Being the author of the universe and thereby history I think he had something of an excuse.
being the author of the universe and thereby history 听
allegedly.
allegedly.
听
This sentiment does not preclude discussion which takes such an assertion for granted. Many atheists, for example, make arguments against God which suppose that He is an actor within history.
, in reply to message 43.
Posted by The Giddy Kipper (U10918464) on Friday, 27th March 2009
I really can't fathom what you are so very annoyed about, Sidley Park? I haven't been on the boards for some time and might be missing something, but are you REALLY suggesting that art made by people who don't believe in god is intrinsically rubbish? Seroiusly? Or just trying to wind someone up for entertainment. Also, i am interested to know whether yu think the Psalms were written by a god, or by a person, or by god somehow 'through' a person or any other variables I haven't thought of in my ignorance. I am also interested in your artistic opinion of 'religious' writing that isn't christian?
I really can't fathom what you are so very annoyed about, Sidley Park?
听
A simple typo on your part - the word begins with A, yes, but ends with -mused.
, in reply to message 45.
Posted by The Giddy Kipper (U10918464) on Friday, 27th March 2009
Answering some of my other questions might be useful in explaining why I think 'seething' when you insist 'smiling'?
Answering some of my other questions might be useful in explaining why I think 'seething' when you insist 'smiling'?
听
I think perhaps you confuse the two because you are in the involuntary albeit comfortable habit of misunderstanding people.
, in reply to message 47.
Posted by The Giddy Kipper (U10918464) on Friday, 27th March 2009
.....or from looking at too many photos of Ratzinger?
.....or from looking at too many photos of Ratzinger?
听
You look at a lot of photos of the Pope?
, in reply to message 49.
Posted by The Giddy Kipper (U10918464) on Friday, 27th March 2009
No, not alot. Just too many. You seem to have misunderstood me.
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