Dido and Cleopatra are alike in not betraying or abandoning their own
country and people, unless one counts putting them on the losing side
in
a war.
- which I suspect, would have come across as a more pointed comment if not
in an email. I appreciate your points about Virgil's literary allusions.
This is related, in a way, to Alvaro 's comment on Dido's lyrics:
"If there is a relationship, wouldn't you think that Dido (current) would
try to keep loyalty to the true meaning, otherwise nobody would have the
remote idea of connecting her name with her lyrics, and make sense. "
As an artist, I can tell you that most of us (writers, poets, musicians)
don't create with the 'general public' in mind, its all about
self-expression . We revel in obscure references to whatever cultural
influences we claim as our own. Most of the time this our means of exploring
the ideas that fascinate us, but often you can see in-jokes and snide
asides. But if people create for 'the public', then you get bland 'Popstars'
I-love-you-baby rubbish.
I am often troubled that our society is so fragmented, with no common
cultural ground, that works of art can no longer be shared cultural
property, for what is rich in meaning to one is incomprehensible to another.
I wish I could express this better - that is why I am a painter and not a
scholar.
I've had a look through Dido's lyrics, and while better than average, with
perhaps the occasional literary allusion, I doubt she is at any risk of
being misunderstood.
British singer 'Sting' was on the tv show 'Oprah' a little while ago,
discussing his song with lyrics "Finding the world in the smallness of a
grain of sand
And holding infinities in the palm of your hand
And Heaven's realms in the seedlings of this tiny flower
And eternities in the space of a single hour" - which she quoted, and even
said 'thats so beautiful...where did you get the idea...' or words to that
effect, and neither one of them mentioned Blake. Did she not want to force
him to own up, or were Oprah and her researchers ingorant?
Sorry, I've wandered a bit off topic there....
best regards
Helen
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