You know you're a fairy tale if...

In TWOTOANS (Funny enough 'two tones'), music is the level above poetic language. Before the song is introduced, the previous paragraph of the saint needing to find what he's missing, it's one HUGE paragraph, which in itself is rather frantic. The searching paragraph is full of breathless run on sentences, or else short staccato sentences that bounce off one another. But once the saint hears the music that the lovers produce, the paragraphs flow in a calming manner. The song itself flows like the calm stream W talked about. Though the prose about the song can't reach the song itself, it does allow a certain amount of soothing and calming that the song itself evokes.

Also, as for TWOTOANS, it is a fairy tale because:

1. A Lack: The Naked Saint needs to find the thing that will release him from his human form (music)
2. Going on a Quest: The quest is rather brought to him as he stays in his cave going crazy as people come by and make pilgrammages to him
3. Hero encounters Magical Helper: The lovers come by on their boat (making magic of their own *wink*)
4. Hero Subjected to tests: He hears the music and noises, and finally discerns the music he needs
5. Achieves Award: He is released from his human form, gets to hear the beautiful music, and dance gracefully

However, it's more of a Kunstmarchen because it is rather complex to wrap your head around. It has metaphors and such that are hard to just see (except the lovers). It's also rather irrational. Why do they get trapped in human form? I don't know, it just happens. There is also his elevation to a higher plane of thinking, above the classical life. That = Kunstmarchen.

Music & Poetry

The ideals of love, life, arts, music, and literature seem to be in harmony together in the Romantic era, in a sense providing a thread that links poetry and music. In the very language of poetry is the evidence of musical qualities that make the poetry come to life. Poetry evokes certain imagery and communicates at nonrational levels, as pictures, emotions, and thoughts come to mind that canno t be created using direct terms, thus music also serves the role of evoking in us feelings and sensibilities in more and spiritual senses which are very difficult to express directly, thus also drawing another link between music and poetry. Poetry and music are used to open the inner self to its own reality, in a way intoxicating the body with good thoughts, emotions, feelings and just awaking the self within.

Wackenroder’s story is a fairy tale as it has numerous aspects found in fairytales. There is an indefinite time and place where the story is taking place, there are elements of magic (wheel of time), the saint’s transformation from a human like state to a spirit/angel, there is longing between the lovers (desire), and there is a happy ending with the lovers together. Also, this story shows the intricate link between words strung together to flow like music, thus emphasizing the lovers’ love for each other and allows the reader to be immersed in the words.

Music and Language

Poetic language helps the reader to envision music; however language does not have the power evoked by music. When words are brought together in a poetic manner, they flow like they would in a song. Words cannot create music; they just have a way of mimicking it. If you ever listen to a song and then hear the lyrics without any accompaniment, it is not the same. The lyrics may be beautiful, but it is the combination of the tune and the lyrics that makes the music whole.

Wackenroder’s tale is a fairy tale in that it has a transformation, conflict, and happy end. It is more of a Kunstmärchen because it does not focus on the magical aspect of the tale, but on the artistic way words can be brought together. The plot itself does not seem to be the most important part. It seems like the tale was written for the reader to get lost in the poetry.

Muse

In the Romantic era, which includes painting, literature, music, etc., virtually everything that was labeled "artistic" was linked to everything else.  This is why composers like Liszt and Chopin were good friends with other artists like Manet and Baudelaire.  All three arts were infused in each other, which is why the relationship between poetry and music is like that of a brother and sister; they come from the same creative muse, only the are expressed differently, but react equally against each other, which is why the sage's soul leapt from its body.

I'd classify it more as kuntsmarchen than just a fairy tale...there is so much passionate imagery and language; there is creative art and description, even the probable supernatural events (as opposed to imaginary magic).  Its influences are, of course, the fairy tale, though, for the unconfirmed time and place, suggested problem, transformation, and relatively happy ending.  

Assignment: 31 March 2009

Please consider the Wackenroder text, “A Wondrous Oriental Tale of a Naked Saint.”

• What is the relationship between music and poetic language? Is the power evoked by music also accessible to language? Or does language merely point to music?
• Also, consider how Wackenroder’s story is a fairy tale. What elements are fairy-tale-like? And what makes it, more specifically, a Kunstmärchen?