Module C, Elective 2 Sample response: The Art of Travel Response by: Lynne Slarke and Mel Dixon The question (Adapted from 2010 Standard question for Module B on udith !ri"ht#s poetry$
%o& does the relationship 'et&een the o'serer and the lands)ape moe us to a deeper understandin" of remem'ered remem'ered lands)apes*
+n your response make detailed referen)e to your pres)ri'ed text and a related text of your o&n )hoosin",
Prescribed tet: The Art of Trael- Alain de Botton- 2002 (non. /)tion$ Related tet: My ountry#- Dorothea Ma)kellar- 103 (poetry$ +ntrodu)tion )aptures the s)ope of the pres)ri'ed text and its )onne)tion &ith the module
Lands)apes are a sour)e of real and ima"ined memories for indiiduals- throu"h &hi)h &e return to the past and re.experien)e the emotions of o'serin" the s)ene- possi'ly &ith "reater depth &hile also sear)hin" for somethin" to respond to our indiidual needs, The re5e)tie and healin" experien)e of the natural lands)ape and the meditatie po&er o6ered &ere attri'utes extolled 'y !ords&orth and 4uskin, +n his 'ook- The Art of Trael- De Botton explores this relationship 'et&een the immediate impa)t of 4elated text the lands)ape and the representations representations of lands)ape is introdu)ed throu"h memories, %e examines the stron" human desire to )apture lands)ape throu"h 7ourneys or lear thesis )lose re5e)tion- throu"h &ritin" or dra&in", The respondin" same lon"in" for the remem'ered lands)ape that de to the Botton reeals in !ords&orth#s Lines &ritten a fe& question miles a'oe Tintern A''ey#- )an 'e found in Australian Dorothea Dorothea Ma)kellar#s My My ountry#, +n the the art &orld- de Botton o6ers the example of 8an 9o"h &hose pursuit of the )omplex relationship 'et&een the lands)ape and the o'serer motiated him to spend numerous hours tryin" to )apture the details of the ypress#, :a)h representation of the lands)ape- &hether &ritten or dra&n has had an in5uen)e on the &ay &e see and remem'er &hat &e hae o'sered,
Be"ins &ith pres)ri'ed text- "iin" eiden)e a'out &ritten representatio ns
4efers to tone of the author
Deals &ith isual representatio ns
4e5e)tion on remem'ered lands)apes )reates the opportunity to re)apture a s)ene &hile ealuatin" the o'serer#s relationship to the lands)ape and the &ider &orld, De Botton#s identi/es that !ords&orth moed 'eyond natural phenomena# of the lands)ape to deelop a deeply personal relationship &ith a fo)us on the details; pla)id lakes- a sparro&#s nestand the sound of ni"htin"ales, riti)s at the timeparti)ularly Byron- sa& this relationship as unsophisti)ated- nam'y.pam'y#- and yet de Botton reminds us that !ords&orth#s philosophy of nature has had a hu"ely in5uential )laim a'out our requirements for happiness# and the ori"ins of our unhappiness, !ith his intimate and )onersational tone- de Botton lo)ates this unhappiness in the 'inary opposition of )ountry and )ity des)ri'in" !ords&orth#s understandin" that the lands)ape &as an indispensi'le )orre)tie to the psy)holo"i)al dama"e in5i)ted 'y life in the )ity,# And yet de Botton also reminds us that the ur'an lands)ape has its o&n allure as he traels to Amsterdam and ruminates a'out the sedu)tie qualities of somethin" as small as a front door in another )ountry#,
The addition of ima"es throu"hout the text further demonstrates the simple and yet ery )omplex relationship 'et&een people and lands)apes, Litho"raphs of airo in the
example of the redemptie po&er of nature#, This linkin" of the past and the present em'eds the unique of the lands)ape as an antidote to the )ity&hen remem'ered, >aintin"s that frame the su'limesimilarly fore"round indiiduals in the lands)ape in)ludin" su)h paintin"s as aspar Daid
8isual ima"ery is dis)ussed
4elated text is linked to ideas in the pres)ri'ed text
Dorothea Ma)kellar#s poem My ountry# o6ers further proof of !ords&orth#s 'elief that 'ein" remoed from a lands)ape proides opportunities for re5e)tion and reealuation of its &orth- po&er and 'eauty of the lands)ape, Dorothea Ma)kellar &rote the poem in London &hile homesi)k and it &as eentually pu'lished in the London Spe)tator in 103 as ore of my %eart#, The poem 'e"ins 'y esta'lishin" the re"ard the :n"lish hae for their lands)ape of /eld and )oppi)e#, At the end of the /rst stan?a- after listin" the attri'utes of the :n"lish )ountryside ("reen and shaded lanes#- ordered &oods and "ardens#$- this loe is des)ri'ed as a metaphori)al life for)e runnin" in your eins# and a sharp )ontrast and dismissal of the British lands)ape is o6ered &hen Ma)kellar a)kno&led"es that + kno& and )annot share it @ my loe is other&ise#$, The ery intense and personal nature of her relationship &ith the Australian lands)ape emer"es throu"h the )onstant de)larations of loe and the personal pronoun; my loe#- + loe#, + kno&#, olour )on7ures up the isions of the lands)ape from simple des)riptions (the &ide 'ro&n land#$ to stron"ly eo)atie and 4omanti) isions su)h as sapphire misted mountains# or throu"h the patheti) falla)y faoured 'y the 4omanti)s; the hot "old hush of noon#, The su'lime- &hi)h a))ordin" to de Botton &as there to moe us to a)kno&led"e our limitations#- emer"es in Ma)kellar#s des)riptions of the enormity of the land )aptured throu"h the ad7e)ties )on7urin" the moement of s&eepin" plains# and the disharmony of ra""ed mountain ran"es#, As if to reinfor)e &hat is already )lear from her laudatory lines- Ma)kellar makes a )lear
de)laration of the po&er of memories of the land on her emotions and her physi)al self &hen she ex)laims ore of my heart my )ountry# Links from preious para"raph throu"h ideas
Ma)kellar#s poem links lands)ape &ith representations of nationalism 'ut it also pinpoints an aspe)t that de Botton#s dis)ussion of 8an 9o"h 'rin"s to the fore; that our understandin" of lands)ape may 'e )ulturally determined and )an 'e )hallen"ed as &e look &ith ne& eyes to /nd the details of di6erent lands)apes, 8an 9o"h 'elieed
=ltimately de Botton is )hallen"in" us to re)onsider the importan)e of the lands)ape and to realise that the mere a)t of traellin" is not su6i)ient to appre)iate it if it is not )aptured in out memories, %e &rites- &e may hae met people &ho hae )rossed deserts- 5oated on i)e)aps and )ut their &ay throu"h 7un"les and yet in &hose souls &e sear)h in ain for eiden)e of &hat they hae &itnessed,# +n )ontrast Ma)kellar )learly has immersed her soul in the lands)ape of Australia- )apturin" po&erful poeti) ima"es in her nationalisti) poem My )ountry#, +t is in the a)ts of representation of &riters and artists that a true en"a"ement &ith the lands)ape is )reated as they )apture iid memories eoked 'y the lands)ape they o'sered, The remem'ered lands)ape has the a'ility to take us 'eyond the reality and trans)ends time shapin" a future relationship for the o'serer,
