Full Lesson
Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche (1844 1900) was a German philologist, philosopher, cultural critic, poet and composer. He wrote several critical texts on religion, morality, contemporary culture, philosophy and science, displaying a fondness for metaphor, irony and aphorism. 'Thus Spake Zarathustra' is a philosophical novel by German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche, composed in four parts between 1883 and 1885. Much of the work deals with ideas such as the "eternal recurrence of the same", the parable on the "death of God", and the "prophecy" of the Ubermensch, which were first introduced in The Gay Science. (alert-warning)
Of all that is written, I love what a person hath written with his blood. Write with blood, and thou wilt find that blood is spirit.
It is no easy task to understand unfamiliar blood: I hate the reading idlers.
He who knoweth the reader, doth nothing more for the reader. Another century of readers - and spirit itself will stink.
Every one being allowed to learn to read, ruineth in the long run not only writing but also thinking.
Once spirit was God, then it became man, and now it even becometh populace.
He that writeth in blood and proverbs doth not want to be read, but learnt by heart.
In the mountains the shortest way is from peak to peak, but for that route thou must have long legs. Proverbs should be peaks, and those spoken to should be big and tall.
The atmosphere rare and pure, danger near and the spirit full of a joyful wickedness: thus are things well matched.
I want to have goblins about me, for I am courageous. The courage which scareth away ghost, createth for itself goblins - it wanted to laugh.
I no longer feel in common with you: the very cloud which I see beneath me, the blackness and heaviness at which I laugh - that is your thunder-cloud.
Ye look aloft when ye long for exaltation: and I look downward because I am exalted.
Who among you can at the same time laugh and be exalted?
He who climbeth on the highest mountains, laugheth at all tragic plays and tragic realities.
Courageous, unconcerned, scornful, coercive - so wisdom wisheth us: she is a woman and ever loveth only a warrior.
Ye tell me, 'Life is hard to bear.' But for what purpose should ye have your pride in the morning and your resignation in the evening?
Life is hard to bear; but do not affect to be so delicate! We are all of us fine sumpter asses and she-asses.
What have we in common with the rose-bud, which trembleth because a drop of dew hath formed upon it?
It is true we love life; not because we are wont to live, but because we are wont to love.
There is always some madness in love. But there is always, also, some method in madness.
And to me also, who appreciate life, the butterflies and soap - bubbles and whatever is like them amongst us seem most to enjoy happiness.
To see these light, foolish, pretty, lively little sprites flit about - that moveth Zarathustra to tears and songs.
I should only believe in a God that would know how to dance.
And when I saw my devil, I found him serious, thorough, profound, solemn: he was the spirit of gravity - through him all things fall.
Not by wrath, but by laughter do we slay. Come let us slay the spirit of gravity!
I learned to walk; since then have I let myself run. I learned to fly; since then I do not need pushing in order to move from a spot.
Now am I light, now do I fly; now do I see myself under myself. Now there danceth a God in me.
Thus spake Zarathustra.
- by Friedrich Nietzsche in Thus Spake Zarathustra.
EXERCISES
A. Use the following words/expressions in your own sentences:
- hath written
- wilt find
- knoweth
- becometh populace
- scareth away
- createth
- goblins
- exaltation
- climbeth
- laugheth
- scornful
- coercive
- wisheth
- delicate
- sumpter asses
- trembleth
- wont
- gravity
- wrath
- slay
- danceth
- Thus spake Zarathustra
B. Answer the following questions:
1. What kind of writing does the writer appreciate?
2. Is it possible for one to write with his/her blood? What does the writer mean by this?
3. What kind of person is labelled a reading idler?
4. Should a writer know his reader? Explain.
5. How has spirit transformed from one stage to another? Explain.
6. What is the writer's opinion about he value of proverbs
7. Why does the writer want goblins around him? How does he differentiate goblins from spirits?
8. Who laughs with an exalted mood:
9. Who loves a warrior?
10. Explain: 'Life is hard to bear; but do not affect fo be so delicate! We are all of us fine sumpter asses and she-asse'.
11. Explain: "It is true we love life; not because we are wont to live, but because we are wont to love'.
12. What does the writer mean when he says: There is always some madness in love. But there is always, also, some method in madness'.
13. Who is Zarathrustra?
14. What moves Zarathrustra most of all?
C. Beyond the text:
1. "Spake' is the past form of 'speak' in old obsolete English. Draw a list of such words that occur in the text and give their contemporary equivalents.
2. Nietzsche writes in poetry in poetic language. He uses scanty words and creates more images. Write five such sentences and interpret them in your own words.
3. What kind of style is this Discuss with examples.
D. Assignments:
1. It is important that you understand the gist or essence of the essay. You must pronounce every word and interpret every sentence. As a philosopher Nietzsche lives in a different mental world. What kind of world is that?
2. How do you make use of such writing in ELT class?
3. Rewrite the whole essay in simple language. You need to reinterpret Nietzsche's intention?
4. What is the place of Nietzsche in western thought tradition or philosophy? Consult Samayabodh Ra Uttaraadhunikta (समयवोध र उत्तरआधुनिक) by GR Bhattarai and explore an extensive rending list.
Summary
Zarathustra only loves writings that are written in blood. In the long run, when everyone learns to read, both writing and thinking will be ruined. The one who “writes in blood and aphorisms” wants not to be read, but to be learned by heart. Aphorisms are like mountain peaks that can be traversed by those with legs long enough.
People say that life is hard to bear, but Zarathustra says that people are built to bear burdens. When Zarathustra sees light, dainty things fluttering around, it moves him to tears. He could only believe “in a God who understood how to dance.” To him, the devil is the “Spirit of Gravity,” which is serious and profound—it ruins everything. Zarathustra has learned to fly, and he no longer has to be pushed in order to move. Now, a god dances inside him.
Analysis
Zarathustra talks with a young man about the nature of upward striving toward the Superman. In this chapter, he emphasizes the individual nature of such striving; obstacles to attaining the Superman ideal are primarily internal rather than external.
Key Points to Remember
- About Author: Name: Friedrich Nietzshe | Birth: october 15 1844, Rocken, Saxony, Prussia | Nationality: German | Occupation: Philoshopher, Cultural Critic, Poet Philologist
- Death: August 25,1900 (aged 55)
- Reading and writing is taken from first four out of the four parts (82 texts) written between 1883 and 1885.
- The book is an account of the fictitious travels and speech of Zarathustra written in old English form.
- The speaker maintains that writing is the writer's spirit connect with blood-hard work and great effort rather than by plagiarism. The writer mentions that wisdom resides on a man who is courageous. It means only courageous people possess wisdom. Our life is like a rose - bud so delicate and sensitive and which struggles when dews drop Happiness doesn't come from great things but very smaller things. The person who is happy can appreciates his or her life.
- The act of butterflies and soap bubbles are the symbolic representation for beautiful things… which make Zarathustra to tears and make him dance and cheer like a god. True aim of life of a great person flies high. We can overcome success and make our life meaningful by happiness and laughter.
- In simple words the level of people's knowledge should be very high so that s/he can communicate by using different proverbs.
- Then the atmosphere should be rare and pure at changes and challenges.
- It means life can be meaningful if there are challenges.
- Only successful people can overcome those challenges.
- So we need to keep ourselves very high above the black and thick cloud - above the worldly materials with the feeling of extreme happiness. The text compares the woman to wisdom and maintains that as the woman loves warrior.
- We should have power to laugh at tragic situation.
- The writer should be much concerned with the readers, if he knows the readers. He simplifies his work. Simplifying the text means destroying the spirit of writing (widespread text) - ruined the quality of the text.
- Concept of spirit: Once spirit was god than it became man now ordinary people.
- The great writers are those who write in blood and who use a lot of proverb.
- The text 'Reading and Writing' has been extracted from a philosophical novel 'Thus Spake Zarathustra written by Friedrich Nietzsche.
[Credit: Interdisciplinary Readings, TU Syllabus; Resham Dumre, WMC, Syangja; and Patterson-White, Sarah. "Thus Spoke Zarathustra Of Reading and Writing." LitCharts. LitCharts LLC, 29 Oct 2020. Web. 7 Aug 2021.] (alert-success)
