Classics - Timelessness is the Essence

Dr Abe V Rotor
Living with Nature School on Blog 
Paaralang Bayan sa Himpapawid (People's School on Air) with Ms Melly C Tenorio
738 DZRB 8 to 9 evening class, Monday to Friday

Plato, Greek philosopher and pupil of Socrates,
challenges man with the concept of a perfect society,
in his discourse, "The Republic." Today, anything
that pertains to man's aim for the ideal is associated
with his philosophy, such as Platonic Love.

Confucius, the greatest teacher of the Orient.
His teachings on love and piety, filial respect,
and human dignity continue to guide man and
society to live in peace and harmony.

Venus de Milo, made by an unknown Greek
sculptor, elevates the essence of beauty to the
level of philosophy, keeping beauty alive through
various human experiences, and preserving the
mystery that kindles its flame.

Michelangelo, the greatest artist of the Renaissance,
takes human imagination to a realm where the
temporal and the spiritual worlds are linked in
reverence to an Omnipotent Being through his
immortal paintings and murals (Sistine Chapel) and
sculptures (Pieta, David), among other works.

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, a respected 18th
century Cambridge professor and writer. Evangeline
or the Tale of Acadie, and Song of Hiawatha,
rank among the world's most loved literary works
depicting a hybrid of classicism and romanticism,
and transcending contemporary values as reflected
in his poem The Arrow and the Song.

Dr. Jose Rizal, national hero of the Philippines,wrote 
Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo that
ignited Philippine Revolution that consequently
liberated the country from 400 years of Spanish rule.
Noli and Fili rank with the world's most influential
novels led by War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy, Don 
Quijote by Miquel de Cervantes, Uncle Tom's
 Cabin by Harriet Stowe, and Les Miserables by Victor Hugo.

The timelessness of a leadership principle

"I have fought against white domination, and I have fought against

 black domination. I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and 

free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with

 equal opportunities. It is an ideal which I hope to live for and to 

achieve. But if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die.” 

- Nelson Mandela, speech from the dock, Rivonia Trial,

 Pretoria, South Africa, April 20, 1964

So with other speeches of great leaders: I have a Dream by Martin 

Luther King; Gettysburg Address by Abraham Lincoln 

Classics never die, timelessness

their essence, like a tempered sword

in war and peace, brings silence

through wisdom in deed and word.

Suggested exercise: Add to these examples, other world's classics,
citing their contribution to the world in their time and ours today .