RES - "Let's explore 12 quotable quotes made by Wilder through processual eyes."
ChatGPT - "Absolutely—let's explore twelve poignant quotes from Thornton Wilder's The Bridge of San Luis Rey, each reimagined through the lens of Whiteheadian process thought. This perspective emphasizes relational becoming, divine persuasion, and the emergence of meaning through interconnected experiences."
The Lure of Divine Harmonics
1. Original:
“There is a land of the living and a land of the dead and the bridge is love, the only survival, the only meaning.”— The Abbess
Whiteheadian Reimagining:
Love is the connective tissue of the cosmos, weaving together past and present in a tapestry of relational becoming. It is the enduring process that bridges temporal divides, embodying the divine lure toward unity and coherence.
2. Original:
“Either we live by accident and die by accident, or we live by plan and die by plan.”— Brother Juniper
Whiteheadian Reimagining:
Life unfolds not by rigid plan or mere accident but through a dynamic interplay of freedom and divine persuasion. Each moment is an occasion for creative advance, shaped by both past influences and the ever-present lure of possibility.
3. Original:
“The knowledge that she would never be loved in return acted upon her ideas as a tide acts upon cliffs.”— Narrator on Doña María
Whiteheadian Reimagining:
Unrequited love carves deep channels in the soul, reshaping the contours of experience. Such emotional tides are integral to the processual nature of selfhood, where each feeling contributes to the evolving tapestry of personal identity.
4. Original:
“We ourselves shall be loved for a while and forgotten. But the love will have been enough.”— Narrator
Whiteheadian Reimagining:
In the processual cosmos, love's value isn't measured by permanence but by its contribution to the ongoing creative advance. Each act of love enriches the relational fabric of existence, persisting in the divine memory even as individual memories fade.
5. Original:
“Now he discovered that secret from which one never quite recovers, that even in the most perfect love one person loves less profoundly than the other.”— Narrator on Esteban
Whiteheadian Reimagining:
Love, in its asymmetry, reflects the diverse intensities of relational experiences. Each person's capacity to love contributes uniquely to the evolving process of becoming, highlighting the richness of emotional diversity in the tapestry of existence.
6. Original:
“Some say that we shall never know, and that to the gods we are like the flies that the boys kill on a summer's day.”— Narrator
Whiteheadian Reimagining:
Contrary to notions of divine indifference, process thought posits a God deeply invested in the world, experiencing each event and emotion. Every creature's experience contributes to the divine life, affirming the significance of all existence.
7. Original:
“He regarded love as a sort of cruel malady through which the elect are required to pass.”— Narrator on Uncle Pio
Whiteheadian Reimagining:
Love, with its trials and transformations, serves as a catalyst for growth within the processual journey. Through love's challenges, individuals are lured toward greater depth and complexity in their becoming.
8. Original:
“Throughout the hours of the night, though there had been few to hear it, the whole sky had been loud with the singing of these constellations.”— Narrator
Whiteheadian Reimagining:
The cosmos resonates with a symphony of becoming, each star a note in the divine melody. Even when unnoticed, the universe sings of interconnectedness, inviting all into its harmonious process.
9. Original:
“The public for which masterpieces are intended is not on this earth.”— Narrator
Whiteheadian Reimagining:
Masterpieces transcend temporal audiences, contributing to the eternal realm of values. In process thought, such creations are preserved in the divine experience, influencing the ongoing creative advance of the world.
10. Original:
“He was quite incapable of establishing any harmony between the claims of his art, of his appetites, or his dreams.”— Narrator on Uncle Pio
Whiteheadian Reimagining:
The struggle to harmonize various aspects of life reflects the complexity of becoming. Process thought acknowledges this tension as part of the creative process, where individuals integrate diverse experiences into a coherent self.
11. Original:
“All of us have failed. One wishes to be punished. One is willing to assume all kinds of penance.”— Narrator
Whiteheadian Reimagining:
Failure is an integral part of the processual journey, offering opportunities for reflection and growth. Divine persuasion invites individuals to transform failures into creative advances, contributing to the richness of the cosmic tapestry.
12. Original:
“Even memory is not necessary for love.”— Narrator
Whiteheadian Reimagining:
Love's impact transcends memory, embedding itself in the very fabric of reality. In process thought, each act of love contributes to the divine experience, influencing the ongoing evolution of the cosmos.
These reinterpretations aim to illuminate how Wilder's profound insights resonate with Whiteheadian themes of relationality, process, and divine immanence. If you'd like, we can explore these further or create visual representations to deepen our understanding.
Below are three short poetic passages in homage to literary author and playwright Thornton Wilder and to process philosopher Alfred North Whitehead capturing their contrasting views of meaningful coincidence ( aka, "synchronicity"). The last set of short poems will be dedicated to coincidence:
Fate or Fortune?
Thornton Wilder: Synchronicity as Unknowable Mystery
Whitehead: Synchronicity as Relational Becoming
Coincidence: Without Divine Coherence
Nothing is stirred, no soul is moved,
Just meaningless chance come to play.
A shuffled card, a slipped rhyme -
No deeper law, no cosmic thread,
Just atoms drifting, meeting, fled.
A feather falls the hour decried,
A stranger speaks a haunted sky,
All pause not daring dreaded fate,
Awaiting fortune's untoward weight.
4. Two Views
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| Travellers on their way to San Luis Rey, Peru |
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