Barren Plateau and the River of LoveCleanth Brooks - Personal Statement Example

Having lost the battle of love,

He was wandering alone in the forest

All at once he saw a barren plateau,

On it, an old man stood with hands folded

With sight in the direction of heaven,

“Whom are you worshipping revered Sir?” the lover asked,

“My child, don’t you know?

Over this barren plateau, a holy river was flowing once upon a time”.

The lover is like the old man, and his heart is like the barren plateau,

In that heart goes the silent, eternal prayer,

For the river of love was flowing through that heart once upon a time!

 Cleanth Brooks' The Language of Paradox

In “The Language of Paradox”, Cleanth Brooks takes on the Language of poetry, stating that at its core poetry is the Language of paradox. Brooks bases his position on the contradictions that are inherent in poetry and his feelings that if those contradictions didn’t exist then some of the best poetry we have today would not exist” (Johnson, 2011).

 In the above poem, the poet explains the sameness with the difference in the phrase “once upon a time”. Another important phrase that conveys the profound meaning is “barren plateau”. The poet’s description of imagination reflects the sufferings of the old man and the young lover, though for different reasons. Their dedication confirms their profound commitment to the cause which is dear to their hearts. The idea of imagination also uses paradox as an ideal form of expression to convey the poet’s thoughts.