2012-07-18 23:21:42
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| A Walker without His Gear (Expand pics) |
The Romantic Tradition
I remain convinced that the apparently anti-intellectual nature of this site is but a clever pose. Hill folk such as ourselves are incontrovertibly philosophical Romantics with a capital "R". There isn't one among us who doesn't dip into Rousseau, Keats, Shelley or MacFarlane as we munch our grub atop the sacred heights. But should a kindred spirit approach the much loved script is shoved into the backpack: our Romanticism is far too personal to be exposed to the kind of locker room banter that has become commonplace on the hills. Romanticism is essentially a flight back to the wild. It is a reaction against the soulless anomie of industrialisation and urbanisation. It seeks the authentic by fleeing the charade of modern life. MacFarlane refers to the Christian monks of our Atlantic extremities seeking to mirror the inner and outer landscapes. And while there is drama and fever in our great cities (think of the opening scene of Woody Allen's Manhattan) the ultimate shock and awe is to be found on top of the world looking down on creation when the light is right. It is a purer experience and ultimately more satisfying. (New MV members may wish to go to YouTube and watch the three wonderful hours of Peter Ackroyd's "The Romantics" -Nature, Liberty and Eternity (BBC 2005) )