Imaginative journeys
'A journey is not so much about where you go, but what occurs on the way'How have composers used texts to explore the importance of the journeying process? The imagination is a tool with which composers can explore ideas and issues, creating a fictional world that resonates with the composer's intention. When a text explores an imaginative journey, the composer is able to communicate effectively the process of the journey and it can be seen that the course of the journey has a more profound influence on the responder than the final destination, communicating the notion that a journey is not so much where you go, but what happens along the way. Coleridge's poetry, the stimulus booklet text The Ivory Trail by Victor Kelleher and Amelie directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet all effectively communicate the power of the imagination to explore the process of the journey, thus reflecting the notion that a journey is not so much about where you go, but what occurs along the way. Coleridge wrote in the Romantic era of the arts, and much of his poetry reflects a departure from some traditional romantic aspects of poetry and an espousal of ideas such as Pantheism and the Gothic tradition. Coleridge held the power of the imagination i
The notion of such a journey occurring entirely in the imagination is communicated by the composition of the graphic, in that the exotic images occupy the space where the figure's head is, and the upturned eyes suggest personal enlightenment through experiencing the process of such an imaginative journey. When the Mariner kills the albatross, his imaginative journey through hardship towards penance is triggered, and supernatural imagery beings to dominate. The relating of seemingly trivial thoughts such as "Raphael Poulain dislikes having to pee next to someone else" give responders an insight into Amelie's imagination and the important role it plays in shaping the process of her journey. There are two distinct layers to the poem, as Coleridge wishes to relate a naturalistic representation of the Mariner's journey as well as using rich symbolism and supernatural themes to explore the process of the Mariner's spiritual journey - his imaginative journey toward enlightenment and atonement for his sins. "Or if the secret ministry of frost, shall hang them up in silent icicles, quietly shining to the moon". Images associated with death such as "Her skin was white as leprosy" and the angelic spirits moving from the bodies of the dead sailors shape the dark intensity of the Mariner's imaginative journey. Through taking his responders on imaginative journeys in his poems, Coleridge was able to not only escape the turmoil of the Industrial Revolution, but also communicate his inner dreams and aspirations, both universal and personal, showing the transforming and enlightening effect the process of such journeys can have. This continuous cycle of images connoting spiritual transformation and enlightenment serves to highlight the importance of the journey's process, and that a journey is not so much about where you go, but what happens along the way. The use of nostalgic language in the second stanza emphasises his emotional journey, "Save if the door half opened and I snatched a hasty glance, and still my heart leaped up, for still I hoped to see the stranger's face". The montage of images is significant, as the responder's gaze is drawn in a circle from the figure's head and eyes to the sphinx and pyramid, to the prayer temples and back, via the sand ripples to the face. n high esteem, believing it to be a balance of discordant elements such as sameness with difference and innovation with convention. In Amelie's case, every small occurrence during the process of her journey contributes significantly to the fulfillment of her dream. Amelie presents the story of a young French woman who uses her vivid imagination to embark on a journey to help improve the lives of others, and inevitably secure her own happiness- a love which blossomed in her imagination before becoming reality. The constant nature of the Mariner's imaginative journey is shown by the constant return to the Wedding Guest. Essentially, the persona's transformation from nostalgic and yearning to optimistic and exuberant occurs as a result of the process of his imaginative journey, and there is indeed no concrete destination, highlighting the notion that a journey is not so much about where you go, but what happens along the way.
Common topics in this essay:
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