Real World Poetry

Casually listening to the radio one morning, I was surprised to discover a song that I was immediately drawn to, as it produced in me a bit of the sublime. For, if poetry is the expression of feelings that cannot otherwise be communicated, then Real World by Owl City is a perfect example of poetry. The combination of the lilting, electronic tones with easy rhymes present the message in a simple and pleasant way as it paints a dreamy yet surprisingly bittersweet portrait that generates wistfulness both in those that have never experienced similar feelings and empathetic listeners alike.

When we read and dub poetry 'good', we are admitting to being drawn out of ourselves and shown what is really inside. Perhaps we feel something we have never felt before. Perhaps we feel something we have felt often but never been able to express. Whatever we feel, poetry somehow manages to express it in a chilling but beautiful way that rings right in our ears and touches our emotions.

Owl City, as a rule, is easy to listen to. While somewhat zany, the electronic music is carefree and dances around the lyrics. The lyrics follow the same rule of easy listening. They rhyme, they paint pretty pictures in our imaginations, they seem playful, but often of no consequence. They remain simple, even while expressing emotions that run deeper than the nonsensical words themselves, thereby avoiding the pit of false or overdramatized emotion. Real World projects whimsical images of stars and trees and leaves blowing in the breeze, splashed with colors and texture. Only once you begin to view the song as a whole and as you near the concluding question does the song become more than just a relaxing tune.

The whole turns out to be the wistful daydreams of a child that is not so childlike after all, we realize, as it is more familiar and recent than that. The concept of a world of beauty and simplicity strikes the heart of every overburdened, stressed individual. We've all watched the wildfires burn down some part of our lives we deemed irreplaceable, but the view from the balcony, the song suggests, makes the fire a pretty thing. This detachment from real-world cares appeals to everyone at some point in our lives, and perhaps is a continual element. The concept leaves a haunting breath, however, with its last question. Does the freeze and burn of our lives even matter? If we dissolved without a trace would the real world even care?

This is what leaves us wanting more. Pleasure and daydreaming aside, the song exposes our insecurity, yet at the same time assures us we are not alone in our fears. The gossamer ideas of this fantasy are distinguished as they remain with us beyond the conclusion of the tones, and leaves on us the mark of poetry.

Real World by Owl City

I saw the autumn leaves peel up off the street,

take wing on the balmy breeze and sweep you off your feet. 

You blushed as they scooped you up on sugar maple wings,

to gaze down on the city below, ablaze with wondrous things.

Downy feathers kiss your face and flutter everywhere.

Reality is a lovely place but I wouldn’t want to live there.

I wouldn’t wanna live there!

Weighed down by heavy lids and lunar lullabies,

I knew you were wide awake 'cause you smile with your eyes.

Downy feathers kiss your face and flutter everywhere.

Reality is a lovely place but I wouldn’t want to live there.

From the green belt balcony, the wildfires look so pretty.

Ponderosa canopy, I’d never leave if it were up to me.

To the ruby redwood tree, and to the velvet climbing ivy:

painted all mahogany, I’d never leave if it were up to me.

..If it were up to me..

With a starry brush, paint the dusk venetian blue,

because in the evening hush, you’ll never believe the view.

And when the leaves return and their whisperings fill the night,

they’ll freeze and burn where fire and ice collide.

Can you feel a silk embrace in the satin air?

If we dissolve without a trace, will the real world even care?

Downy feathers kiss your face and flutter everywhere.

Reality is a lovely place but I wouldn’t want to live there.

I wouldn’t want to live there!

I saw the autumn leaves peel up off the street,

take wing on the balmy breeze and sweep you off your feet.

What Teaches and Delights

Fantasy is often looked down on as a genre. I tell my academic superiors that I enjoy fantasy and they covertly sneer. To my mom, my passion for fantasy was just another distraction from the recognized works of meaningful literature. To me, however, it is so much more than that. Why does fantasy delight me? I could spend years explaining. I love myth and magic and world building and the sense of adventure and heroism, but, more than that, I love what I learn from it. I love that it both delights me and teaches me. Fantasy can be literature as much as the next book. It stretches and expands our minds and imagination, preparing us for greater creativity. Moreover, by presenting us with the impossible, fantasy prepares the readers for the unexpected and gives us courage to tackle anything.

What makes a book great? It generates thoughtfulness, self-examination and reevaluation. It teaches us what heroes are made of and inspires us to act with integrity. It is true the you can read a fantasy novel and gain nothing from it but a sense of excitement, but it is also true that you can read Pride and Prejudice and think, "What a cute love story!" while entirely missing the point. The greatest fantasy books I've read have made my mind reel with moral dilemmas, generated a burning commitment to change the world, and enlightened my understanding of myself and my purpose as a child of God.

But if those same enlightening moments can be achieved through any genre of literature, what is the purpose of choosing to read about something that could never possibly be? The impossibility is the purpose! When it comes down to it, fantasy is unconfined and so can stretch to incredible bounds to share fundamentals of humanity that would be otherwise difficult to teach and envision. Fantasy forces us to stretch our minds to create an entirely new world-view! Cultures and traditions that seem strange to others make sense to the lover of fantasy. We learn to think outside the box in the same way the puzzle-solvers and artists do, as in fantasy we paint with vibrant colors to create a bigger picture than the rest of the world can understand.

Lastly, by immersing us in a world so completely foreign, fantasy teaches us to better accept all the sudden changes of direction we may experience in life and how to have the courage to solve problems seemingly far beyond our control. Because fantasy is fake, it is able to transcend agendas and create parables of real life in a way that we can really internalize and learn from. We believe in the impossible and that it really is not as impossible as it might seem.

Fantasy need not be scoffed at. It has the same gifts as fiction and nonfiction, but is also given the ability to stretch beyond that and expand our imaginations, and to prepare us for the uniqueness each of us will experience in life. I am proud to say that I enjoy fantasy, for not only does it delight me, but I delight in what I learn every time I pick up a new epic.