Page 110 - The Irony Board
P. 110
Into the Cosmos
Platoniclasm
Let the circle
Be unbroken:
Break the law that
Gods have spoken.
As the title suggests, this poem is about Platonism and
iconoclasm. Many mystical and religious doctrines propound a
peculiar practice based on sympathetic magic and the metaphysical
fallacy of dualism: since (as they claim) the material world is but an
imperfect reflection of the divine, it is blasphemous to create any
object expressive of perfection. In form, this injunction runs from
violent Judaeo-Moslem idol-smashing to gentle Navajo gaps in
geometrical design. The irony, of course, is that “perfection” is
unattainable in any realm except the purely imaginary and abstract.
Therefore, the true stroke against irrationality is to acknowledge
symbols of ideal qualities, in full awareness of their limitations.
Gluckman uses the juxtaposition of “unbroken” and “break” to
accent the iconoclastic theme, and the pious hymn phrase “let the
circle be unbroken” to mimic and mock theological commandments.
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