TravisDiRuzza

Imagination,Perception,andTechnologiesofParticipation

Thoughfarinlandwebe,OurSoulshavesightofthatimmortalsea

Whichbroughtushither,Caninamomenttravelthither1

NotinUtopia,subterraneousFields,

OrsomesecretedIsland,Heavenknowswhere Butintheveryworldwhichistheworld

Ofallofus,theplaceonwhich,intheend, Wefindourhappiness,ornotatall.2

1WilliamWordsworth,ThePrelude,BookX,lines723-7.2WilliamWordsworth,Ode,IntimationsofImmortality,lines163-6.

"Imaginationisthecardinalvirtue,becausetheliteralnesswhichsupports

idolatryisthebesettingsin,oftheagewhichisuponus,"3wroteOwenBarfield.By

transfiguringourliteralperceptionofthesense-world,theimaginativefaculty

revealsameaningfulcoherencebehindappearances,takingusfrom“inlandfar”to

the“immortalsea.”Butletusnotinsisttoomuchonthemetaphor,astheinsight

andmoldingofimaginationworkuponthestuffof“theworldofallofus”andareno

transcendentflighttoabeyond.

Inhisbook,SavingtheAppearances,Barfieldarguesthatashiftin

consciousnesshastakenplacebetweenhumanity’soriginalparticipationwith

representationsofthesensoryworld,andmodernday“idolatry,”inwhichobjects

areperceivedascompletelyindependentofus.Hesuggeststhatmodern

consciousnessmaybemovingtowardathirdstageofnovelparticipation,while

remaininginformedbytheautonomygainedthroughidolatry.Thetransformative

powerofImaginationplaysacrucialroleinthismovementtowardfinal

participation.

Withinthatframework,thisessayexaminesWilliamWordsworth’sThe

PreludeasanactandtheoryofImagination,specificallythroughaclosereadingof

theMountSnowdonepisodeinBookXIII.InadditiontoPoetry,wewillconsider

howNature,Geometry,andLovecanalsoserveas“technologies”ofparticipation.

Finally,wewillexplorehowthesetoolsandtheimaginativefacultythatanimates

themmayaidinthemovementtowardfinalparticipation.

* * *

3OwenBarfield(paraphrasingWilliamBlake),SavingtheAppearances,161.

BeforewecanunderstandhowImaginationmayleadtofinalparticipation,

wemustelucidatethenatureoforiginalparticipationanditsrelationtoperception.

Barfieldexplains:

Wemustnotconfusetheperceptwithitscause.Idonothearundulatingmoleculesofair;thenameofwhatIhearissound…Second,Idonotperceiveanythingwithmysense-organsalone…WhenI"hearathrushsinging,"Iamhearing,notwithmyearsalone,butwithallsortsofotherthingslikementalhabits,memory,imagination,feeling.4

Theactofmentalconstructionthatcreatesrecognizableandnameablethingsoutof

sensationiswhatBarfieldcallsfiguration.Thethinkingwedoaboutthese

representations,akindoftheoreticalthinking,hecallsalpha-thinking.5

Anthropologistsoncethoughtthatindigenouspeoples’experienceof

participationissimplyamatterofmistakenalpha-thinking(incorrectbeliefsabout

therepresentations),butthattheirfigurationisidenticaltoours.Nowsomebelieve

thattheextra-sensorylinkinvolvedinparticipationisinfactduetoadifferencein

figuration,thatthephenomena(representations)themselvesaredifferent,seen

throughindigenouseyes.6Thelossoforiginalparticipationandthecurrentstateof

idolatry(conceivingoftherepresentationsaswhollyindependentoftheformative

aspectofourperception)areduetoachangeinfigurationeffectedbytheinfluence

ofalpha-thinking.7

* * *

4Barfield,SavingtheAppearances,20.5Ibid.,24.6Barfield,SavingtheAppearances,34.7ThehistoryofthisinfluencetakesupalargeportionofSavingtheAppearancesandistoodetailedtorecapitulatehere.Sufficeittosaythatthelossofparticipationcoincideswiththeriseoftheabstracting,scientificmindthattreatsobjectssolelyundertheirquantitativeaspectasclosed,mechanicalsystemsabidingbyfixedphysicallaws,whollyindependentofhumanconsciousness.

InbothThePreludeandtheOde,Wordsworthintimatesahistorical(and

finallymythic)movementbyapersonalnarrative.Wecanseethehistorical

trajectoryfromparticipationtoidolatryevokedinthepassagefromearlychildhood

tomaturityintheOde:“Therewasatimewhen…Theearth,andeverycommon

sight,/Tomedidseem/Apparelledincelestiallight…Itisnotnowasithathbeen

ofyore…ThethingswhichIhaveseenInowcanseenomore.”8Theenchanted

experienceofaparticipatedworldhasdisappeared.Oragain:“TheYouth,whodaily

fatherfromtheeast/Musttravel,stillisNature’spriest/Andbythevisionsplendid

/isonhiswayattended;/Atlengthheperceivesitdieaway,/Andfadeintothe

lightofcommonday.”9TheYouth’stracingofthesun’spassagefromeasttowest,as

wellaswordslike“celestiallight,”“Immortality”inthetitleofthepoem,andthe

connectednotionthatweenterlife“notinentireforgetfulness,”allinvokethe

mythicdimensionofthepoem.10Correspondingly,wecannotethemythicoverlay

inBarfield’sscheme.OriginalParticipation—Idolatry—FinalParticipationcouldbe

likenedtomanymythsbutespeciallytheChristianframeworkofParadise—

ParadiseLost—ParadiseRegained.Andsowemayinquireastothisthirdstagein

theOde.Aswehavealreadyseenattheoutsetoftheessay:“Thoughinlandfarwe

be,/OurSoulshavesightofthatimmortalsea…Caninamomenttravelthither.”11

Fallenfromastateoforiginalparticipation,yetwecanmovetowardfinal

participation.

8Wordsworth,Ode,lines1-9.9Ibid.,lines72-7.10Forexample,thesun’srising,passageandsettingcorrespondtobirth,lifeanddeath.Plato’sMythofErinTheRepublicandtheideaofanamnesispertainto“Immortality”and“notinentireforgetfulness.”11WilliamWordsworth,Ode,IntimationsofImmortality,lines163-6.

Itisthiskindofreconnectionwithanoriginalsourcewhichconcernsusin

theexaminationoftheMountSnowdonepisode.Theexperiencedepictedisnot

onlyanexampleofreconnection,butalsoillustrativeandinstructiveastohowthis

reunificationmaycomeaboutthroughImagination.Onafoggysummer’snight,

WordsworthwindsupSnowdon,visibilityobscuredbythemist.Hisguide’sdog

“Unearth[s]ahedgehoginthemountaincrags.”12Thecreatureanddiction

emphasizeanearthy,groundedatmosphere.Andagain:“Withforeheadbent/

Earthward,asifinoppositionsetagainstanenemy,Ipantedup.”Butuponbreaking

throughthefog,theambianceofgravitasissuddenlyreversed:

ForinstantlyaLightupontheturfFelllikeaflash:Ilook’dabout,andlo!TheMoonstoodnakedintheHeavens…AndontheshoreIfoundmyselfofahugeseaofmist…Atmyfeet:AhundredhillstheirduskybacksupheavedAlloverthisstillOcean.

Thelightoftheheavenlymoonupontheseaofmisttransfigurestheearthymood

andcoarselandscape.Thebiblicalexclamation(“lo!”)andnuminosityofthescene

suggestaparabolicreading:ThelightofImaginationtransformsthescattered

ordinaryworldintoanoceanicwhole.“Farbeyond,thevapoursshotthemselves…

IntotheSea,therealSea.”Theshootingvapoursarereminiscentofwind,and

throughtheLatinspiritus,reinforcethenuminouschargeofthescene.Theoceanof

mistisdistinguished(butnotdivided13),fromtheemphasizedrealSea.Thisreal

Seaistheoriginalsource,thewholenessbehindseeminglydisparateappearances,

12Wordsworth,ThePrelude,line24.Exceptwherenotedallsubsequentquotationsfromtheepisodearecontainedinlines30-203.13InColeridge’ssense.SeeBarfield,WhatColeridgeThought,18.Thisalsoseemstoapplytotheintimacybetweenfigurationandalpha-thinking.

andthelandscape,bathedintheoceanofmist,hasbecomeitstwinthroughthe

lampofImagination.

Wordsworthmakesthisfaculty’sroleexplicit,notingthatoffbetweenthe

mistathisfeetandtherealsea

wasabluechasm;afractureinthevapour,Adeepandgloomybreathing-placethro’whichMountedtheroarofwaters…roaringwithonevoice.…Inthatbreach…ThatdarkdeepthoroughfarehadNaturelodg’dTheSoul,theImaginationofthewhole.

Thewords“breathing-place”andobliquely,“voice,”suggesttheGreekpsyche,

confirmedby“Soul,”againunderscoringthemoment’ssacredtone.The

architectureofthescene,withthemistedlandsononeside,therealseaonthe

other,andImaginationinbetween,highlightsImagination’sroleasabridge

betweentheearthlyandthedivine,itspowertotransmutethediversequotidian

intoanuminouswhole—areflectionoftheunifiedSource.Imaginationisthat

transformativefacultywhichrevealsinthemundanelandscapeanimageofthereal

seaandshowsthemeaningfulcoherencebehind“mere”appearances.

TheideaofaSourcebehindtheappearancesisconfirmedbyWordsworth’s

ownreflectionupontheexperiencethatfollows.“Thescene…appear’dtome/The

perfectimageofamightyMind.../OnefunctionofsuchmindhadNaturethere…

exhibited.”Butitisimportanttodistinguishthisexperienceofthesublimefromthe

waythatanactiveImagination14maytransfigureamoreeverydayscene.Thoughin

thefirstcaseacertaindegreeofreceptivityisdoubtlessrequiredfromtheobserver,

itisprincipallyNaturethatisacting,with“Thatdominationwhichsheoftentimes/

14Coleridge’ssecondaryImagination.Barfield,WhatColeridgeThought,81.

Exertsupontheoutwardfaceofthings,/Somouldsthem…Thateventhegrossest

mindsmustseeandhear/Andcannotchusebutfeel.”However,theappropriate

personcanexercisethismetamorphiccapacityofImaginationonhisorherown:

ThePower…whichNaturethusThrustsforthuponthesenses,istheexpressResemblance,inthefullnessofstrengthmadevisible…ofthegloriousfacultyWhichhighermindsbearwiththemastheirown.ThisistheveryspiritinwhichtheydealWithalltheobjectsoftheuniverse;TheyfromtheirnativeselvescansendabroadLiketransformations.

Thisdistinctionnotwithstanding,letusnotethatthroughencounterswith

thesublimeandthebeautifulNatureentrainstheImagination.Thevisionofunity

affordedtoperceptionshowsthatsuchathingispossible.Ifwerecallthateveryact

offigurationinvolvesbothsensationandamentalsupplement,thedifference

betweenanexperienceofthesublimeandapotentialtransfigurationofmore

commonplacethingsbecomesoneofdegreeratherthankind.Theempowered

Imaginationcanthus“observeaffinitiesin/Objectswherenobrotherhoodexists/

Tocommonminds.”15

PoetrytooentrainstheImagination.ThePoetisabletoaccessthesame

powerasNature,transformingmatterintoacoherentandharmoniouswhole,a

workofart:“Poets,evenasProphets,eachwitheach/Connectedinamighty

schemeoftruth…[have]beenvouchsafed/Aninflux…Proceedingfromthedepthof

untaughtthings,/Enduringandcreative…ApowerlikeoneofNature’s.”16Inbeing

read,theaccountofSnowdoninfactfulfillsthesameendthatitisdescribing.The

15Wordsworth,ThePrelude,BookII,lines403-5.16Ibid.,BookXII,lines301-12

reader'sfeelingofrapturebeforetheprintedwordisanalogoustoWordsworth's

ownfeelingofraptureuponthemount.Theauthor’simaginativeactofpoetry

entrainstheImaginationofthereader,withthe“visionarypower[that]/Attends

uponthemotionofwinds/Embodiedinthemysteryofwords.”17Fromseemingly

disparatewordsonapagewepiercethroughtothemarrowoflife,andare

remindedofthenuminousrealmthatliesjustbehindthecloakofbruteobjects:

“Evenformsandsubstancesarecircumfus’d/Bythattransparentveilwithlight

divine;/AndthroughtheturningsintricateofVerse,/Presentthemselvesas

objectsrecognis’d/Inflashes,andwithagloryscarcetheirown.”18

ThatPoetrymayaccomplishinitsacttheverythingthatactisdescribing—

thatintellinghisstory,Wordsworthalsoimpartsuponthereaderthissame

experience—seemsconnectedtoColeridge’spronouncementonGeometry:

Mathematicallines,pointsandsurfacesare“actsoftheimaginationthatareone

withtheproductofthoseacts.”19ThoughoperatinginadifferentwaythanPoetry,

Geometrytoodisplaystheconstructivefacultyofmind.Itsperfectfigures

emphaticallydonotexistintherealworld,exhibitingallthemoreclearlythemind’s

powertoshapeandcreateareality,a“clearSynthesisbuiltupaloft/Sogracefully,

eventhenwhenitappear’d/Nomorethanasaplaything,oratoy/Embodiedto

sense,notwhatitis/Inverity,anindependentworld/Createdoutofpure

Intelligence.”20LikePoetry,GeometryentrainstheImaginationbydisplayingthe

17Ibid.,BookV,lines619-2118Ibid.,625-919Coleridge,quotedinBarfield,WhatColeridgeThought,15.20Wordsworth,ThePrelude,BookVI,lines182-7.

syntheticforceofmind.

Itisnosurprisethenthat“PoetryandgeometricTruth”21arethe

centerpiecesinthe‘DreamoftheArab’inBookV.Letusonlyconsiderinthis

regardthefigurethatincubatesthedream:TheErrantKnightofCervantes,Don

Quixote.HeisonecapableoftransforminghisworldthroughanactofImagination.

Thoughmanyinsistheismadorthathecomestohissensesandrepentsintheend,

theonlyerrortowhichDonQuixotefinallyadmitsonhisdeathbedisbelievingthat

therewereandstillareknightserrantintheworld.Thissuggeststhathewasinfull

possessionofhisfacultieswhenhetookonhisimaginativerole,butwassimply

aloneinaworldofidolaters.Thathisromanticandcomedicquestingisnotthetrue

stuffofImaginationmaybeajustcriticism,butconsideralsothetransformative

powerofthedreamasananaloguetoImagination.ThequixoticKnightisliftedup

andbecomesthebearerofthetabletsofhumanknowledge,theStoneandtheShell

(GeometryandPoetry),inthefaceoftheapocalypse.

WhileNature,PoetryandGeometry(andperhapsdreaming)playcrucial

rolesinelucidatingthemetamorphicpowerofImagination,letusnotforgetLove.

LikePlato’sladderoftheformsofloveintheSymposium,Wordsworth

acknowledgesboththecentralimportanceanddifferenttypesoflove:

…Fromlove,forhereDowebeginandend,allgrandeurcomesAlltruthandbeauty,frompervadinglove,Thatgone,weareasdust…seethatPairtheLambAndtheLamb’sMother,andtheirtenderwaysShalltouchtheetotheheart;thoucall’stthisloveAndsoitis,butthereishigherloveThanthis,alovethatcomesintotheheart

21Ibid.,BookV,line64

Withaweanddiffusivesentiment;Thyloveishumanmerely;thisproceedsMorefromthebroodingSoul,andisdivine.ThislovemoreintellectualcannotbeWithoutImagination.22

Eventhemoreordinarylove,whetheritisfamilialorromantic,isapowerthat

transformsone’sworld.AndinGeometrywefindthepowertoconstructaworldin

Intelligence.Bothseemtoinformthe“feelingintellect”23orhigherlove,whichisin

asensetheapexofandthesameasImagination:“Imaginationhavingbeenour

theme,/Soalsohaththatintellectuallove,/Fortheyareeachineach,andcannot

stand/Dividually.—Heremustthoube,OMan!”24Inpreparingourfacultiesfor

thathigher,intellectuallove,LovetooentrainstheImagination.

ItisPoetryandtheArtsingeneralthatembodyespeciallywellthis“feeling

intellect”andmayplayaspecialroleontheroadtofinalparticipation.The

structureandlogicoftheArts,alongsidethefeeling-tonetheybothevokeand

requireforcreation,letthemplayanexceptionalpartinspurringtheactive

Imagination25neededtotransformourmanneroffiguration.Because“thefutureof

thephenomenalworldcannolongerberegardedasentirelyindependentofman’s

volition,”26wemust“learntoapproachtheunrepresentedbywayofenhancingour

figuration,soastomakeitaconsciousprocess.”27Artisticactivitycreates

22Wordsworth,ThePrelude,BookXIII,lines146-6023Ibid.,line198.24Ibid.,lines178-81.25Coleridge’ssecondaryImagination.Barfield,WhatColeridgeThought,81.26Barfield,SavingtheAppearances,160.27Ibid.,153.

meaningfulrepresentationsandcanbeconsideredanew,consciousparalleltothe

(largelyunconscious)primalactoffigurationinoriginalparticipation.

Additionally,Artfunctionswithinasocialcontext.Withreferenceto

Durkheim’sdiscussionofclans’useoftotemicemblemstoexpressand

communicatecollectiverepresentations,Barfieldnotesthatlanguagecarriesthis

sameexpressionandcommunicationtoday.Hecontinues,“‘Participationbeginsby

beinganactivity,andessentiallyacommunal,socialactivity.”28Thoughindifferent

waysandtodifferentdegreeswithineachmedium,theArtsmaybeplaced

alongsidetotemicemblemsandlanguageasperformingthisrepresentative,

communalactthroughexpressionandcommunication.

Furthermore,Artmirrorsthestructureoforiginalparticipationinsofaras

“therestandsbehindthephenomena,andontheothersideofthemfromme,a

representedwhichisofthesamenatureasme.”Whereasinoriginalparticipation

thiswasthedivinemindofGodorthespiritworld,wearenowgiventheinspired

mindoftheartisticgenius—theonewho“makethanewNatureandsomaketh

himselfasitwereanewGod.”29Theartistcreatestheunifiedrepresentation,an

imageofhisorherownSoul—butitisonlyfunctioningartwhenanaudience

experiencestherepresentationandintuitstheunityofmindbehindit.Unlikethe

idolsaroundus,Artremindsusthatitispreciselyarepresentation;andtobea

representationandnotanidol,tofunctionasArt,itmustbeparticipatedin.Toplay

onColeridge’sphrase,thiscallsfora“willingsuspensionofbelief”inidols.

28Ibid.,32.29Scaliger,quotedinBarfield,SavingtheAppearances,128.

Artisaviablepathtowardfinalparticipationbecauseittakesbackuptheact

ofrepresentationwithinasocialcontext,butwithanewconsciousnessofman's

"directionallycreator"30roletowardNature.ThoughArtwillnotbringaboutfinal

participationallbyitself,itisatemplateforthewayourImaginationcantransfigure

theworldandengageinthatparticipation.Thisnewawarenessofselfinco-

creativeinteractionwiththephenomenalworldisalessonthatmustbelearnedin

thepassagefromoriginaltofinalparticipation.Itservestoredeemandmakesense

ofanarrativearcthatmayotherwisebeconstrued(orevenlived)asatragicfall.

Thedescentintoidolatryallowsfortheconsolidationandliberationofsubjectivity,

butrequirestheeffacingofidentificationandextra-sensorytieswiththemana-

Sourcebehindrepresentations.Nolongercanwe“relyonthelifeinherentinthe

object,”butarecalledupontoperformtheheroicactofdrawing“thelifeforthfrom

within”ourselves.31

InthesamewaythatwereadtheSnowdonepisodeparabolically,wemust

perceivethat“everyman’slifeisaperpetualallegory.”32AswesawintheOde,the

historicalandthemythicarecontainedinthepersonal;and“withthefurther

increaseoffinalparticipation,thisperceptionshouldbeextendedtothebiographies

ofnationsandraces,andofhumanityasawhole.”33Imaginationisthefacultythat

allowsthisperception—andtheArts,thesublimeandthebeautifulinNature,

Geometry,andLovearerungsupontheladderbacktofinalparticipation.

30Barfield,SavingtheAppearances,132.31Ibid.,129.32JohnKeatsquotedinBarfield,SavingtheAppearances,151.33Barfield,SavingtheAppearances,151.

Buttheseactivitiesarenotsufficientontheirowntobringaboutthe

reconnection;wehaveunderstoodthemwhenwehave“climbedoutthroughthem,

onthem,overthem.([We]mustsotospeakthrowawaytheladder,after[wehave]

climbeduponit.)”34Itisonlythusthatwewilltrulyreunitewiththeoriginal

sourcethatislodgedinourownSoul,realizing“thatnatureherselfisthe

representationofMan,”35andthatwearethecreatorsoftheworldthatlivestous,

“andtotheGodwho[looks]into[our]mind.”36Thisleaptowardfinalparticipation

isnottooriginal,undividedwholenessbuttoadistinguished37,complexwholein

whichourconsciousagencyisembedded:“Theendofallourexploring/Willbeto

arrivewherewestartedandknowtheplaceforthefirsttime.”38

34Wittgenstein,TractatusLogico-Philosophicus,108.35Barfield,SavingtheAppearances,13136Wordsworth,ThePrelude,BookIII,line144.37AsinColeridge’sdistinctionbetweendividinganddistinguishing.SeeBarfield,WhatColeridgeThought,18.38T.S.Eliot,FourQuartets,LittleGidding,lines240-2(italicsmine).

Bibliography

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