Expressing the Inexpressible: Poetry and Philosophy in Film and Music
“What is a poet? An unhappy man who hides deep anguish in his heart, but whose lips are so formed that when the sigh and cry pass through them, it sounds like lovely music” (Either/Or 1).
Kierkegaard begins his most acclaimed philosophical work, Either/Or with this sentence, gesturing at the poets who express their inner world with the harmonious elements of the outside world. A few hundred years later, singer-songwriter Elliott Smith gestured back to Kierkegaard with his acclaimed album Either/Or, poeticizing his unhappiness in melodic verse in the same vein of which Kierkegaard writes. Nietzsche believed that poets are responsible for writing society’s narrative and creating the values we hold. On the other hand, Plato transitioned from being a poet to being a philosopher, claiming poetry is another way of imitating life and straying us further from the truth. Many philosophers were poets and many poets were philosophers, so how do we distinguish between the two? How can we get at the essence of their messages? Not everyone is interested in poets and philosophers, and for good reasons. The density of their writing and deeply contextual issues can be confusing and off-putting. I want to explore poetry and philosophy in more accessible forms of storytelling, that of which is music and film.
For as long as I could remember, I treated music as a voyeuristic medium to project my meanings to songs I listen to and connect them to my limited knowledge of the world. I find that not only does music have an obvious poetic element to it, but many artists are overlooked for the philosophical depth that encapsulates their work. Every artist has a different way of seeing the world, and their rendered expression of it can translate to the listener’s understanding of the artist, the listener, and the world in between. I, like most people, also enjoy a good film. I believe films are an incredibly effective device to express poetry and philosophy. Through cinematography, screenwriting, and character exploration, there is a lot of room for poetic and philosophical representation of ideas. I aim to explore and investigate the multi-faceted levels of film in connection to popular philosophical concepts like existentialism, morality, and identity. In addition to that, I want to portray the poetry of films by employing language and cinematography techniques to convey certain moods and feelings that sometimes cannot be expressed on one’s own.
The analyses will center around the messenger and message. Like poets and philosophers, directors and artists communicate their world and visions to their audience. For this reason, my passion project prioritizes the forgotten, the underrepresented, and independent filmmakers and artists. I share a concern that films and albums made by Hollywood and major studios with big budgets and crews can be hegemonizing, as it’s harder to decipher who is responsible for the messages communicated. While big-budget films can certainly be poetic and philosophical, it is harder to connect with their creators. And I’m just going to say it, it’s becoming increasingly harder to differentiate art by its purpose. Is this simply a cash grab? Are these artists trying to communicate something to us, or sell something to us? It’s probably both, but the best movies and albums for this project are ones that actively engage with their audience, leaving them with provoking thoughts, questions, realizations, and inspiration.
I also want to note that I am only an undergraduate philosophy and psychology student. I know nothing. I am aware I know nothing. Sure, I’ve taken a few classes, read a few books, and watched a bunch of Youtube videos, but I can’t say that I am fully equipped to explore these ideas on a proficient level. I know that in a year or two, I will probably have completely different opinions and cringe at my current ignorance. That’s alright though, it’s all in the process of learning! All opinions and interpretations are my own unless stated otherwise. And if I come off as arrogant, I’m so sorry. I am a 20-year-old college student studying philosophy and in love with ‘obscure’ cinema and music… Take me seriously, but also… don’t! All in all, I want to think critically about the media I consume and understand how it connects to the humanities of poetry and philosophy. I hope to inspire others to listen and watch the pieces of art I find meaningful, while also coming to their own conclusions about the medium and its message!
A few acknowledgments:
This project is sponsored by the Gould Center at Claremont McKenna College. I’m very grateful for the opportunity to engage with my interests in this way. This project was also inspired by two courses I took my junior year fall semester: Poetry and Philosophy with Leland de la Durantaye and Continental Philosophy with James Kreines. I’ve learned so much from both classes and they inspired me to continue exploring these topics in a new light.
