Friday, March 7, 2014

Poetry Sells! (Who Knew?)

Apple Inc, makers of the famed MacIntosh computer, and the now legendary string of i everything,
is pushing its new iPad Air tablet. With Robin Williams doing his very best "Dead Poets Society" character waxing rhapsodic, they might actually sell a few of them. The photography here is really good, and the shots are compelling. But what particularly struck me was the poetry: Walt Whitman, from Leaves of Grass.

Oh Me! Oh Life!
Of the questions of these recurring,
Of the endless trains of the faithless, of cities fill'd with the foolish,
Of myself forever reproaching myself, (for who more foolish than I, and who more faithless?)

Of eyes that vainly crave the light, of the objects mean, of the struggle ever renew'd
Of the poor results of all, of the plodding and sordid crowds I see around me,
Of the empty and useless years of the rest, with the rest me intertwined,
The question, O me! so sad recurring-What good amid these, O me, O life?

Answer
That you are here...that life exists and identity,
That the powerful play goes on, and you may contribute a verse.



I suppose Apple could've just come up with an ad that said "Hi. Apple Computer here with our newest invention: the iPad Air. We like it because it's so light. We hope you'll buy one soon." I suppose in these days of bland media saturation and sameness, an ad like that may well have worked. But they decided to go for the whirling dervish that is life playing out across this planet, set it to poetry and roll it out. And it works.

The next time I want to throw up my hands in despair thinking that art doesn't move people, I will reflect upon this, that some great photography and poetry helped sell a few million of these iPad Air things.



More Later
KCD


Visit www.theworkofart.net

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