[lit-ideas] Re: Wondering about wonder
- From: Jlsperanza@xxxxxxx
- To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Mon, 19 Aug 2013 19:04:31 -0400 (EDT)
In a message dated 8/19/2013 4:19:10 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time,
rpaul@xxxxxxxx writes (or 'edificates', as he prefers) about "wondering about
wonder" and refers to a few essays:
Exploring Awe and Wonder
Wonder: From the child to the philosopher
The fragility of wonder
Wonder as repetition
Abraham Heschel on wonder
Nicholas Montgomery, When words fail us: Wonder.
Wonder and scepticism
Can a mathematically elegant cosmos evoke wonder?
The neuroscience wonder
Wondering about wonder:
Wonder in Media
Discourses of wonder
Evoking wonder
The wonder of art
---
I should say that my favourite 'wonder' song is recorded by Mitch Miller
and the gang -- a male vocale. It's called "I WONDER who's kissing her now"
and the lyrics are tricky. Below.
Urmson, in "Parentheticals", notices the distinction between
"I wonder if she'll come"
vs.
"Will she come, I wonder?"
"Will she, I wonder, come?"
----- "These three positions of a propositional-attitude verb I call
parenthetical".
The verse is not different:
You have loved lots of girls in the sweet long ago.
and each one has meant heaven to you.
You have vowed your affection to each one in turn.
And have sworn to them all you'd be true.
You have kissed 'neath the moon.
While the world seemed in tune.
Then you've left her to hunt a new game.
Does it ever occur to you later boy,
That's she's prob'ly doing the same?
REFRAIN -- first:
I wonder who's kissing her now
I wonder who's teaching her how
I wonder who's looking in to her eyes -- Breathing sighs, telling lies.
I wonder if she's got a boy
The girl who once filled me with joy
I wonder if she ever tells him of me.
Again: I wonder who's kissing her now.
If you want fo feel wretched and lonely and blue
Just imagine the girl you love best
In the arms of some fellow who's stealing a kiss
From the lips that you once fondly pressed
But the world moves a pace and the loves of today
Flit away with a smile and a tear
So you never can tell who is kissing her how
Or just whom you'll be kissing next year.
I wonder who's buying the wine
For lips that I used to call mine
Again: I Wonder if she ever tells him of me?
I wonder who's kissing her now?
Note that there is NO entailment (only implicature) that
SOMEONE _is_ kissing her now.
"I wonder who's kissing her now".
For the singer goes on to say:
"I wonder if she's got a boy
the girl who once filled me with joy."
It may be argued that she may be kissing by another _girl_ or a dog for
that matter.
I wonder. And then again, the singer may be female (I wonder?)
Cheers
Speranza
----
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