In The beginning of the poem “Ode to Beauty” by Mary Robinson, Robinson questions how something could be so beautiful and hold so much power. One of the first stanzas read:
“Whose magic spells enchain the heart,
Ah ! what avails thy fascinating pow’r,
Thy thrilling smile, thy witching art ?
Thy lip, where balmy nectar glows;
Thy cheek, where round the damask rose”
This relates to the 19th century and time today because power often comes from beauty. Movie stars, political figures, or the general public often gain power because of good looks. Media and advertisements are based on sexual appeal. This stands true in the present, but these ideas were also alive in the past.
“Old Beggar” by Mary Robinson really emphasizes how love is greater than all. Material items don’t matter, but love does. No matter rich or poor, healthy or sick, love will get one by.
These poems are relate-able to science when we begin to understand WHY love and sex appeal are so important. It is a natural desire for humans to find companionship. Humans are born with hormones that cause the desire for humans to be attracted to beauty. In today’s world, the 19th century, and the entire history of the world, this has been a fact. More recent years researching has only proven that attraction to beauty is due to the biology and natural genes of people.
You may wonder, “how does beauty relate to my biology?”. The answer to this is that as humans traversed the centuries we came to acknowledge beauty in a different way. Ugliness can have many different forms, one of these forms comes from being ill. When you are sick, your body doesn’t concentrate on maintaining looks, as I’m sure plenty of people have noticed throughout their lifetime. So, what does this have to do with beauty? Well, in the wild without all of our doctors and medicine, what is the best way to find a healthy mate? The answer is obvious, mate with the prettiest. Denis Dutton, a philosopher and professor at the University of Cantebury provides some interesting views on the link between beauty and Darwinian theory. Listen to his speech here (http://www.ted.com/talks/denis_dutton_a_darwinian_theory_of_beauty.html) Dutton talks about the origins of beauty and how it relates to the world today.
