Imaginative Journeys take us into a world of speculation and inspiration
“Stop thinking in terms of limitations and start thinking in terms of possibilities”. John Lennon does just this in his song “Imagine”. Through the use of the concept of imaginative journey Lennon inspires his listeners to speculate about a world beyond what they thought possible. Subsequently, a momentary freedom is achieved while a reflection of self is obtained and the public feels inspired to explore the Utopia offered in Lennon’s song. Similarly, Tim Winton’s short story entitled “Distant Lands” is used to show the transformation of a young hopeless girl within which readers are inspired to explore their endless possibilities and reach their absolute potential. Winton’s story additionally allows readers to be taken into a world of speculation where they feel liberated to lead the lives they have endlessly dreamt of regardless of their realities.
John Lennon’s song ‘Imagine’ is one key example of the role of imaginative journey in taking us to a world of speculation. Lennon’s lyrics, while written with simplicity, deliver a powerful message to the audience. Through his unpretentious rhyming pattern, where only the second and fourth lines rhyme in each verse of six, Lennon allows the simplicity of the words and the meaning of the song to shine through and transfix a universal range of individuals without exception or prejudice. This means that no matter what ones education, background, gender or status is, they could, and feel encouraged to, speculate the lyrics of the song. Further on, Lennon complements the peaceful content of his lyrics with a repetitious piano tune throughout the song. The soft sound of the piano, rather than a potentially distracting musical structure, effectively emphasizes the peaceful and unifying message of the song, facilitating the reader’s state of reflection. This shows that imaginative journey takes us to a world of speculation because it demonstrates the creative introspection sparked by the emotive response Lennon evokes.
Although people are constantly told to “Imagine” a world with no war, a sense of ironic hope surrounds the peaceful song. Lennon asks his listeners to imagine a world with no heaven or hell, religion, countries, possessions, greed or hunger. It is quite ironic that the inspiration induced by Lennon is accompanied by the clear reality that such a world is not possible. Paradoxically, as the song continues, and as each verse steadily ends on a positive note, further more hope is created and Lennon leaves his listeners to remain inspired and speculate the changes they could make to create the Utopia he describes.
Also, an impression of everlasting flow and rhythm is created during the tune thus allowing the listeners to continually think of the message being delivered long after the song’s conclusion. This is done through the repeated use of ellipses at the end of each verse, which end optimistically, once again inspiring readers to speculate about the changes that could be made in their lives. Lennon has deliberately implemented the ellipses with the intention of creating a continuous train of thought within the listener’s minds about the content of his song. This is therefore a key example of speculation that results from the imaginative journey that Lennon inspires through his song.
Tim Winton’s “Distant Lands” is a short story that uses imaginative journey that allows the readers to internally examine themselves. Throughout this process, inspiration is created and readers speculate about the life they lead, and have always dreamt of leading, thus encouraging them to make positive changes to fulfil their desires. Winton metaphorically creates Fat Mazs transformation from that of a hopeless young girl who leads a bland life, to that of a promising character whose feelings and thoughts positively change. This contrast demonstrates the transition characteristically associated with imaginative journey.
Winton makes use of a greyhound bus, which passes “once a day…going north to the city”. The bus metaphorically represents people’s lives in that town and the way they lead the same, predictable life on a daily basis. However, throughout the play, Winton writes of the dark man “buttoning” his shirt against the Harbour. This symbolises a shield, where the dark man does not let the “smelling harbour” affect him, a sign to show he feels protected from the town. The buttoning of the shirt represents the ability one has to not let the bad things get to him or her. It represents a mind, which is able to take a journey to other places through the gift of reading, gaining of knowledge, and resistance from the external. It represents the power the imagination has in leading the mind to speculate about what seems to be the impossible, and leave the mind to be overcome with a feeling of inspiration.
Winton also introduces the stranger as a “Dark Man”. Through the use of this descriptive language, connotations of an ambiguous, unknown, mysterious man come to mind. Furthermore, in representing an unfamiliar journey, Winton uses diction as he describes the dark man’s “exotic hands”, and the “Distant Lands” book he reads with the “Exotic purple cover” emphasises the concept of the unknown. Winton presents elements which all have to do with travel alongside the mysterious man therefore allowing Fat Mazs imagination to be taken to another world, where she feels free and comfortable to be herself. The Dark mans exotic features are a key example in which Winton uses imaginative journeys to cause inspiration and speculation amongst his readers. He represents the unknown, and consequently gives hope to Fat Maz to escape from her dull life into the life she dreams of.
Furthermore, at the end of the story, Fat Maz “fairly crackles” after taking money from the dark man. Winton metaphorically portrays the girl’s transformation through this act, as the money, which is for the bus, represents a way to a different lifestyle. Therefore hope is created for Fat Maz and as she takes the money and puts it in a private place, it is suggested that she has the potential to grow and speculate about the changes she could make in her life. Also, Winton uses the crackle at the end of the play to represent feelings of inspiration and anticipation the young girl is overcome with. Thus, this scene is a key example of the creation of inspiration through speculation.
In conclusion, the evidence presented strongly suggests that imaginative journey takes us to a world of speculation and inspiration. It is through simplicity, structure, ironic hope and metaphors that a sense of hope and change, which is distinctive of imaginative journey, results from the speculation and inspiration that the main characters’ journey brought about. It is therefore evident that imaginative journey has a key role in the instigation of speculation and inspiration, two key concepts essential to the transition in the audience and characters of the two texts discussed.
“Stop thinking in terms of limitations and start thinking in terms of possibilities”. John Lennon does just this in his song “Imagine”. Through the use of the concept of imaginative journey Lennon inspires his listeners to speculate about a world beyond what they thought possible. Subsequently, a momentary freedom is achieved while a reflection of self is obtained and the public feels inspired to explore the Utopia offered in Lennon’s song. Similarly, Tim Winton’s short story entitled “Distant Lands” is used to show the transformation of a young hopeless girl within which readers are inspired to explore their endless possibilities and reach their absolute potential. Winton’s story additionally allows readers to be taken into a world of speculation where they feel liberated to lead the lives they have endlessly dreamt of regardless of their realities.
John Lennon’s song ‘Imagine’ is one key example of the role of imaginative journey in taking us to a world of speculation. Lennon’s lyrics, while written with simplicity, deliver a powerful message to the audience. Through his unpretentious rhyming pattern, where only the second and fourth lines rhyme in each verse of six, Lennon allows the simplicity of the words and the meaning of the song to shine through and transfix a universal range of individuals without exception or prejudice. This means that no matter what ones education, background, gender or status is, they could, and feel encouraged to, speculate the lyrics of the song. Further on, Lennon complements the peaceful content of his lyrics with a repetitious piano tune throughout the song. The soft sound of the piano, rather than a potentially distracting musical structure, effectively emphasizes the peaceful and unifying message of the song, facilitating the reader’s state of reflection. This shows that imaginative journey takes us to a world of speculation because it demonstrates the creative introspection sparked by the emotive response Lennon evokes.
Although people are constantly told to “Imagine” a world with no war, a sense of ironic hope surrounds the peaceful song. Lennon asks his listeners to imagine a world with no heaven or hell, religion, countries, possessions, greed or hunger. It is quite ironic that the inspiration induced by Lennon is accompanied by the clear reality that such a world is not possible. Paradoxically, as the song continues, and as each verse steadily ends on a positive note, further more hope is created and Lennon leaves his listeners to remain inspired and speculate the changes they could make to create the Utopia he describes.
Also, an impression of everlasting flow and rhythm is created during the tune thus allowing the listeners to continually think of the message being delivered long after the song’s conclusion. This is done through the repeated use of ellipses at the end of each verse, which end optimistically, once again inspiring readers to speculate about the changes that could be made in their lives. Lennon has deliberately implemented the ellipses with the intention of creating a continuous train of thought within the listener’s minds about the content of his song. This is therefore a key example of speculation that results from the imaginative journey that Lennon inspires through his song.
Tim Winton’s “Distant Lands” is a short story that uses imaginative journey that allows the readers to internally examine themselves. Throughout this process, inspiration is created and readers speculate about the life they lead, and have always dreamt of leading, thus encouraging them to make positive changes to fulfil their desires. Winton metaphorically creates Fat Mazs transformation from that of a hopeless young girl who leads a bland life, to that of a promising character whose feelings and thoughts positively change. This contrast demonstrates the transition characteristically associated with imaginative journey.
Winton makes use of a greyhound bus, which passes “once a day…going north to the city”. The bus metaphorically represents people’s lives in that town and the way they lead the same, predictable life on a daily basis. However, throughout the play, Winton writes of the dark man “buttoning” his shirt against the Harbour. This symbolises a shield, where the dark man does not let the “smelling harbour” affect him, a sign to show he feels protected from the town. The buttoning of the shirt represents the ability one has to not let the bad things get to him or her. It represents a mind, which is able to take a journey to other places through the gift of reading, gaining of knowledge, and resistance from the external. It represents the power the imagination has in leading the mind to speculate about what seems to be the impossible, and leave the mind to be overcome with a feeling of inspiration.
Winton also introduces the stranger as a “Dark Man”. Through the use of this descriptive language, connotations of an ambiguous, unknown, mysterious man come to mind. Furthermore, in representing an unfamiliar journey, Winton uses diction as he describes the dark man’s “exotic hands”, and the “Distant Lands” book he reads with the “Exotic purple cover” emphasises the concept of the unknown. Winton presents elements which all have to do with travel alongside the mysterious man therefore allowing Fat Mazs imagination to be taken to another world, where she feels free and comfortable to be herself. The Dark mans exotic features are a key example in which Winton uses imaginative journeys to cause inspiration and speculation amongst his readers. He represents the unknown, and consequently gives hope to Fat Maz to escape from her dull life into the life she dreams of.
Furthermore, at the end of the story, Fat Maz “fairly crackles” after taking money from the dark man. Winton metaphorically portrays the girl’s transformation through this act, as the money, which is for the bus, represents a way to a different lifestyle. Therefore hope is created for Fat Maz and as she takes the money and puts it in a private place, it is suggested that she has the potential to grow and speculate about the changes she could make in her life. Also, Winton uses the crackle at the end of the play to represent feelings of inspiration and anticipation the young girl is overcome with. Thus, this scene is a key example of the creation of inspiration through speculation.
In conclusion, the evidence presented strongly suggests that imaginative journey takes us to a world of speculation and inspiration. It is through simplicity, structure, ironic hope and metaphors that a sense of hope and change, which is distinctive of imaginative journey, results from the speculation and inspiration that the main characters’ journey brought about. It is therefore evident that imaginative journey has a key role in the instigation of speculation and inspiration, two key concepts essential to the transition in the audience and characters of the two texts discussed.
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