Notes on The Unknown World, The Hero's Journey, and Narrative Poetry
The Unknown World and the Hero's Journey
Everyday pattern: we leave the known world (home) and enter an unknown world, which is not just geographic but psychological, philosophical, and experiential. We are in a constant state of becoming; we never stay the same.
The unknown world is encountered daily: it includes thinking, feeling, experiences, and people we meet who are different from yesterday. Even simple departures (like leaving home) represent moving from the familiar to the unfamiliar.
The name for God and its significance: the phrase I am who I am comes from God; Yahweh/Yehovah are derived from this. Only God can declare I am who I am because humans are in flux and constantly changing; we are always in the process of becoming and never reach completion in this life.
Facing the unknown: daily challenges, obstacles, and surprises (pleasant and not so pleasant). The question is how we respond: run and hide, or face them. Some challenges are overcome; some overcome us; life is not perfect.
Growth through failure: even in failure, we learn; sometimes we learn more from failures than successes. We restart and continue the journey.
The promise of a guide: if you stay true to yourselves and your aims, you will meet the people you need at the right time. Right people may appear from within or outside your family. You meet many people over a lifetime who offer guidance or helpful words just when you need them.
Examples of guidance in daily life: overheard conversations, seemingly incidental remarks, and the right message at the right moment can steer us. These moments provide value beyond monetary gain — insights, wisdom, or understanding.
A personal anecdote about Miss Lewis (eighth grade English): she told me, 'mister Solwag, you don't know enough to be bored.' This reframed boredom as a symptom of arrogance or pride of the soul (as Aristotle described). If you know enough about something, boredom could be justified; otherwise, it is a call to learn.
The impact of Miss Lewis's message and a wall inscription: time will pass, will you? The idea is to resist mindless drift and stay engaged with learning.
The evolving learner: the more we learn, the more we realize how much we don’t know; the speaker humorously notes the whiteboard representing the field, acknowledging vastness beyond what is written.
Change is universal and ongoing: when you return home after a day, you are not the same person as when you left. Friends outside college may notice slow changes; some may resent them, but the speaker emphasizes that what matters is how you view yourself, not how others view you.
The journey to self-identity is daily and lifelong: we leave the known world, face unknowns, meet guides, gain value, and return changed.
Campbell’s universal pattern: Joseph Campbell studied heroes across a thousand cultures and found common denominators—the hero’s journey is a universal pattern, suggesting something universal about the journey to self-identity. The journey appears in sacred stories as well, including Hebrew scriptures (Abraham, Joseph, Jacob, Moses) and the New Testament.
The journey mirrors life and birth–death cycles: birth starts in the known world (the womb), a comfortable, nutrient-rich environment. After birth, we enter the unknown world (life) full of challenges. Across a lifetime, we meet guides and gain value, then return to the known world in death; the body returns to Earth, while the spirit is eternal. Literature teaches that every departure is a prelude to an arrival.
The womb as the known world and the Earth as the return point: the body returns to the ground; the spirit remains immortal in literature and belief systems; life is a temporary vessel for a larger journey.
Structure of the hero's journey (six parts):
Leave the known world
Enter the unknown world
Face challenges, obstacles, surprises (some overcome, some overcome us)
Meet a guide or helper
Gain something of value
Return to the known world changed
The Sisyphus motif and existentialist reflection: some characters (like Sisyphus) epitomize repetitive, resistant, futile labor (pushing a boulder uphill only to see it roll back down). Albert Camus presents this as a framework for understanding life’s repetitive patterns; some people live as if moving without true living.
The idea of living meaningfully within constraint: even in the worst circumstances (as in Sisyphus’s fate), people can find opportunities for growth and meaning.
Real-life examples of meaning-making within constraint:
Maya Angelou’s I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (referenced as a transformation of oppression into resilience and voice).
A husband’s intervention enabling a woman to pursue a scene or discovery she needs; later, a story about Kayla who says she wants to be alone to finish a book, but it’s a signal of needing space for reflection, not literal retreat.
Sister Mara, a Carmelite nun, illustrates how a life that appears passive to the world can be deeply active and meaningful in the spiritual sense. Her daily routine (rise at 4 AM, prayers, study, work with hands, meals, prayers before bed) is described as highly active within the spiritual framework; Milton’s line 'They also serve who stand and wait' is invoked to highlight value in readiness and contemplation.
Existentialist emphasis on responsibility: early existentialists argue that we are responsible for ourselves and our circumstances; sometimes this can be liberating, sometimes daunting; the idea that one’s own choices carve the path of life.
Narrative poetry: a bridge between philosophy and literature, featuring story-driven poems that explore universal themes through a particular voice.
Narrative Poetry: Definition, Structure, and Key Concepts
Definition: Narrative poetry tells a story with a plot, which includes setting, beginning, middle, and end. It can be found in poems, short stories, or plays and follows a similar structure.
Plot and structure (Aristotle): a plot comprises beginning, middle, and end; Aristotle defined plot in his work on rhetoric. Most narrative poems begin not at the literal beginning of events but in medias res (in the middle of things), with background filled in by the poet as the narrative unfolds.
In medias res (immedius res): starting a story in the middle of events, requiring the writer to fill in the backstory for the audience. Genesis is an exception where the story begins with creation: creatio ex nihilo (creation out of nothing). The term is used to distinguish God’s capacity to create from nothing from human beings who create from existing materials.
Beginning, middle, end in practice: most narrative poems present an opening that is not the literal start of a life or situation; instead, the plot begins somewhere in the middle of the life story, with later events shaping the ending and resolution.
The Bible as an exception: Genesis begins with creation and the proclamation 'In the beginning'—a literal beginning. Other narratives (e.g., Because I could not stop for Death; The Ruined Maid; Church Going) begin in medias res or with a background that must be inferred.
The three sample poems in the course:
Because I could not stop for Death (Emily Dickinson): a short narrative poem about death personified as a companion who visits the speaker, with a reflective and meditative travel through life toward death.
The Ruined Maid (coming from two voices): a longer poem with two speakers—the farm girl and Amelia—who dialogue about social expectations and the consequences of choices.
Church Going (Philip Larkin): the longest of the three, in which the speaker visits an empty church and contemplates its meaning, purpose, and the future of religion.
Voice and persona (not the poet): narrative poems are usually written in the first person with a speaker or persona created by the poet rather than the poet speaking directly. Identifying who is speaking is an essential part of close reading.
Universal themes: narrative poetry commonly tackles themes that resonate across generations and cultures—death, treatment of others, purpose of life, faith, work, and more.
Stylistic features of narrative poetry:
Often deceptively simple and easy to read; there is usually more beneath the surface—like an iceberg: the visible surface vs. the deeper meanings, symbols, and metaphors.
Rich use of figurative language: metaphors and symbols to express experiences that are difficult to articulate literally (e.g., love, grief, faith).
Often written in the past tense to reflect on events that have occurred; the speaker is usually a first-person voice or persona.
Reading strategy and engagement:
Read poems aloud to hear rhythm, sound, and imagery; this helps surface questions and deeper meanings.
Write down questions for class; reread to uncover layers and motifs.
Be mindful of the need to suspend disbelief when reading fantasy or metaphorical content; allow the poem to create a world in which its ideas can be explored.
Key methodological points for approaching narrative poetry:
Suspension of disbelief (Coleridge): we must accept the poem's internal logic for a period to engage with its ideas and imagery; this is a common practice in reading poetry, fiction, or drama.
The right to read and the gift of genius: readers do not earn the right to access a text; it is a grace from writers and scholars who preceded us. This sense of unearned privilege invites gratitude and responsibility in reading and learning.
Grace as unmerited favor: the writer or creator grants us access to a work even though we have done nothing to deserve it. This is a transformative idea for approaching education and literature: we cherish and utilize the gift rather than feeling entitled to it.
Thematic scope and implications:
Narrative poetry invites readers to grapple with fundamental questions: how do we define meaning in life, how do we relate to others, how does faith or doubt shape our experience, and what is the role of memory and mortality in art and life.
The course emphasizes that poetry and other forms of art are gifts that enable growth, reflection, and insight, often requiring us to exercise humility and gratitude.
The Three Core Thematic Loci: Birth, Life, and Death as Frames for Understanding the Journey
Birth as the Known World: the womb represents safety, nourishment, and security—the familiar starting point of life.
Entering the Unknown: life becomes a voyage filled with challenges, decisions, and revelations; the unknown world is a space of growth.
Death and Return to Known World: death marks the return to the ground (Earth) for the body, while the spirit endures in literature and belief; every departure is a prelude to an arrival elsewhere.
The spiritual dimension: literature and philosophy often treat life as a spiritual journey where nothing essential is lost; the journey continues beyond physical life, and the body’s limitations do not exhaust the human essence.
The Role of Grace, Reading Attitudes, and Educational Implications
The idea of grace in learning: learning is a gift from those who came before us—the authors, teachers, scientists, and creators—who have devoted years to develop knowledge and craft.
The shift from obligation to opportunity: students and readers are encouraged to adopt a mindset of gratitude and opportunity (e.g., I get to read this, not I have to read this).
The responsibility of the reader: because a work is given as a gift, readers should actively engage, reflect, and apply it, rather than treat it as a mere requirement.
Practical implications for education:
Emphasize the non-ownership of knowledge; students benefit from recognizing the historical and communal nature of learning.
Encourage curiosity, gratitude, and disciplined inquiry as a way to honor the authors and thinkers who contributed to the body of knowledge.
Promote reading strategies that deepen understanding, such as reading aloud, questioning, and revisiting texts to uncover deeper levels of meaning.
Key References and Anecdotes from the Lecture
The Miss Lewis moment: 'you don't know enough to be bored' and 'time will pass, will you?' illustrate how a single teacher's remark can refocus a student toward learning and humility.
The line about boredom as arrogance (Aristotle): if you know everything about a subject, you can be bored; otherwise, boredom signals a need to learn more.
The iceberg metaphor for narrative depth: surface readability vs. deeper layers of meaning beneath the text's exterior.
The Carmelite nun, Sister Mara: her ascetic and contemplative life reveals a paradox — outwardly still, inwardly deeply active and joyful; the Milton line also underscores the value of service in waiting and contemplation.
The role of spectacle and wonder in education: the Disney World anecdote (mysterious but playful) and the idea that even mundane or playful contexts can illuminate deeper truths about learning and presence.
Genesis and creatio ex nihilo: the unique case of Genesis as beginning before all else; most narratives begin in medias res, with backstory supplied as the plot unfolds.
The three poems studied (for next class):
Because I could not stop for Death (Emily Dickinson)
The Ruined Maid (Thomas Hardy)
Church Going (Philip Larkin)
Universal themes highlighted in narrative poetry: death, treatment of others, purpose of life, and faith; these themes recur across cultures and eras, making narrative poetry a universal conduit for existential reflection.
Some Concrete Numerical and Textual References (illustrative)
The hero's journey as a six-part cycle: stages, repeated across lifetimes and stories.
Campbell’s cross-cultural scope: more than cultural examples described across a wide range of societies.
The Hebrew Bible: the Bible is described as little books (the term Biblia means little books).
Metaphorical depth of the iceberg: approximately 8 ext{-}10 ext{ extbf{ ext{%}}} of the iceberg is visible above water, with the remainder below the surface.
Time references in the Sister Mara routine: rises at about , studies/prays until meals, then works in the afternoon, with prayers at about in the evening.
Aesthetic and rhetorical figures mentioned: creatio ex nihilo; immedius res; in medias res; persona/voice; metaphor; symbol.
Recurrent numerical motifs: books in the Bible; + examples of cultural narratives; the six-part journey; the iceberg metaphor's partial visibility (roughly 8 ext{-}10 ext{ extbf{ ext{%}}}).
Two Core Takeaways for Studying Narrative Poetry and the Hero's Journey
Embrace the unknown as a source of growth: life’s challenges and surprises are not just obstacles but opportunities to learn, meet guides, and gain value that changes how we view ourselves and our place in the world.
Read with humility and gratitude: poetry and other creative works are gifts from generations of thinkers and artists; approach them with openness, suspend disbelief where necessary, and leverage the text to deepen your own understanding and ethical reflection.
Questions you might consider for discussion or exam preparation
How does the concept of the unknown world relate to the hero's journey across different cultures and scriptures?
What is the role of a guide in the journey, and how do seemingly ordinary encounters become pivotal moments of learning?
How can we interpret the Sisyphus motif in modern life? Does repetition always imply stagnation, or can it hide opportunities for growth?
How does narrative poetry use metaphor and symbol to convey themes that resist literal description? Why is the ability to suspend disbelief essential when engaging with such poems?
In what ways does the idea of grace alter our approach to reading, learning, and education in general?
How do the three sample poems illustrate in medias res, persona, and universal themes? What are the challenges of identifying the speaker's voice in narrative poetry?
How do birth, life, and death serve as a framework for understanding human experience in Campbell's hero’s journey?
End-of-lecture prompts
Reflect on a personal moment when you encountered an unknown world and a guide appeared—what did you learn and how did you change?
Consider a narrative poem you know. Identify the plot, the speaker's voice (persona), the major symbols, and the universal theme it conveys. What is the perceived depth beneath the surface text (the iceberg)? If you were to read it aloud, what rhythm and imagery would you emphasize to enhance comprehension?