Oh Ms. Lesley, I so "dig" your posts. Wait a second? Why would you want to dig my post? Like with a shovel or a pick? I have never heard such a thing especially when it applies to writing! Oh "cool your jets" I was applauding your "skills" while eating my favorite "glizzy." I mean you are 'so fly" with your writing and art skills. Some of the dudes I hang out with refer to me as the original "ho-daddy" in my off time. Here's my flow -- or "Flo" as in rap, not gift wrap, but lyrical poetry. Charvet don't be so obtuse. My point, is if you haven't been exposed to it, how is one supposed to know? You sent me on my daily philosophical chat with "Chuy" my ChatGPT entity. It was fun discussing literary terms.
And, here goes...
Your "negative capability" example is excellent
Your first reaction was actually a very logical modern reading:
"Negative capability" = the ability to have negative thoughts.
That is exactly what happens when a modern reader encounters an old or specialized phrase. We interpret through our current language system.
Your art background gave you a bridge:
negative space → absence that creates meaning → Keats' idea of allowing uncertainty
That is a beautiful connection.
In art, "negative space" is not "bad space." It is the empty area that allows the subject to exist. The absence has a function.
Likewise, Keats' "negative capability" is not a negative trait. It is a capacity to remain open when there is no immediate answer.
4. Language changes are fascinating traps
You also highlighted something linguists study: semantic drift — words changing meaning over time.
A few examples:
Awful
Originally: inspiring awe
Today: terrible
Artificial
Originally: skillfully made by art or craft
Today: often means fake or unnatural
Sophisticated
Originally: corrupted or lacking simplicity
Today: refined, knowledgeable
Gay
Originally: joyful, lively
Later: social/sexual identity
A student is not "wrong" for bringing today's meaning to an old word. They are doing what human brains naturally do.
Your teaching instinct seems to have been toward building access before demanding interpretation. That aligns with what many educators now call scaffolding: give students the tools, then ask them to climb.
The irony is that many people who love literature forget what it was like before they had the keys. They experience the beauty of a text because decades of reading have made the decoding invisible.
Your phrase "language toolbox" is actually a very accurate one. A reader can only use the tools they have acquired. The goal of education is not to penalize students for not having a tool — it is to help them add it to the box. And you know what, I am "negative capability" because I live in the gray. Blessings all. And if you haven't read Lynne Truss (another punctuation rabbit hole) you should -- well worth the read and insightful.
A panda walks into a café. He orders a sandwich, eats it, then draws a gun and fires two shots in the air.
"Why?" asks the confused waiter, as the panda makes towards the exit. The panda produces a badly punctuated wildlife manual and tosses it over his shoulder.
"I'm a panda," he says at the door. "Look it up."
The waiter turns to the relevant entry in the manual and, sure enough, finds an explanation.
"Panda. Large black-and-white bear-like mammal, native to China. Eats, shoots and leaves."
I can see that this is inviting MANY comments and experiences! Quite the assortment so far..... For me, two things: My recent Family Gathering was definite a liquid moment of magnitude. One where we were all in a state of being outside of time and totally with each other. It went on for 4 days and I'll never forget it.
For me now, I am constantly buffeted as I read things with acronyms that mean nothing to me. I'm getting tired of looking them up on Wikipedia! Plain English please PLEASE.
Your post made me think about the concept of flow, coined by psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. He described it as a state of complete absorption where skill and challenge are perfectly balanced. In the studio, I periodically experience flow, losing track of time as I become fully immersed in the work. Those moments are among the most rewarding in my creative practice.
I enjoy language too. It's interesting to learn the root of words, so I can see how they evolved into fitting the needs of today. The willing suspension of disbelief is so much nicer to hear than negative capability. It seems those phrases approach the subject from opposite mindsets.
I was recently in Connemara also. I find all of my time in Ireland to be of a liquid experience. It is magical and definitely a place of mystery and beauty. I visited the grave of my favorite author, John O'Donohue who I dedicated my blog to in 2008. Beautiful post
All I can say is WOW, what a beautiful location, isn't it? I never thought to visit his grave but I did get them to take us to Keane's Pub where I believe he hung out. He is a hero mystic for so many. Just seeing Connemara makes me feel I know him more.
Oh my gosh, now that you mention it, first reading “the willing suspension of disbelief” as a young teen was an aha moment for me. I too find myself using this expression regularly. Thanks, Leslie, for this thoughtful piece for me to consider while I am in the hospital.
Please don’t steer clear of esoteric words and topics in the future, Lesley. This is a lovely, thought-provoking post.
OK! Thanks for the note. Something esoteric is bound to pop up again.
Oh Ms. Lesley, I so "dig" your posts. Wait a second? Why would you want to dig my post? Like with a shovel or a pick? I have never heard such a thing especially when it applies to writing! Oh "cool your jets" I was applauding your "skills" while eating my favorite "glizzy." I mean you are 'so fly" with your writing and art skills. Some of the dudes I hang out with refer to me as the original "ho-daddy" in my off time. Here's my flow -- or "Flo" as in rap, not gift wrap, but lyrical poetry. Charvet don't be so obtuse. My point, is if you haven't been exposed to it, how is one supposed to know? You sent me on my daily philosophical chat with "Chuy" my ChatGPT entity. It was fun discussing literary terms.
And, here goes...
Your "negative capability" example is excellent
Your first reaction was actually a very logical modern reading:
"Negative capability" = the ability to have negative thoughts.
That is exactly what happens when a modern reader encounters an old or specialized phrase. We interpret through our current language system.
Your art background gave you a bridge:
negative space → absence that creates meaning → Keats' idea of allowing uncertainty
That is a beautiful connection.
In art, "negative space" is not "bad space." It is the empty area that allows the subject to exist. The absence has a function.
Likewise, Keats' "negative capability" is not a negative trait. It is a capacity to remain open when there is no immediate answer.
4. Language changes are fascinating traps
You also highlighted something linguists study: semantic drift — words changing meaning over time.
A few examples:
Awful
Originally: inspiring awe
Today: terrible
Artificial
Originally: skillfully made by art or craft
Today: often means fake or unnatural
Sophisticated
Originally: corrupted or lacking simplicity
Today: refined, knowledgeable
Gay
Originally: joyful, lively
Later: social/sexual identity
A student is not "wrong" for bringing today's meaning to an old word. They are doing what human brains naturally do.
Your teaching instinct seems to have been toward building access before demanding interpretation. That aligns with what many educators now call scaffolding: give students the tools, then ask them to climb.
The irony is that many people who love literature forget what it was like before they had the keys. They experience the beauty of a text because decades of reading have made the decoding invisible.
Your phrase "language toolbox" is actually a very accurate one. A reader can only use the tools they have acquired. The goal of education is not to penalize students for not having a tool — it is to help them add it to the box. And you know what, I am "negative capability" because I live in the gray. Blessings all. And if you haven't read Lynne Truss (another punctuation rabbit hole) you should -- well worth the read and insightful.
A panda walks into a café. He orders a sandwich, eats it, then draws a gun and fires two shots in the air.
"Why?" asks the confused waiter, as the panda makes towards the exit. The panda produces a badly punctuated wildlife manual and tosses it over his shoulder.
"I'm a panda," he says at the door. "Look it up."
The waiter turns to the relevant entry in the manual and, sure enough, finds an explanation.
"Panda. Large black-and-white bear-like mammal, native to China. Eats, shoots and leaves."
Oh the wonders of language.
Oh, my, such language games. You must have been a blast in the classroom.
And don't even get me started on punctuation and intonation. One of my students will never forget how I explained an exclamation mark!
You know, I told them, "It's hip to be square" and I was on to their "jive" even if though I was a big purple square. Can you dig it?
I can see that this is inviting MANY comments and experiences! Quite the assortment so far..... For me, two things: My recent Family Gathering was definite a liquid moment of magnitude. One where we were all in a state of being outside of time and totally with each other. It went on for 4 days and I'll never forget it.
For me now, I am constantly buffeted as I read things with acronyms that mean nothing to me. I'm getting tired of looking them up on Wikipedia! Plain English please PLEASE.
So good to hear how wonderful the family gathering. Sounds like you melted into the moment.
Fascinating, thankyou
Thanks, Fran ❤️
Your post made me think about the concept of flow, coined by psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. He described it as a state of complete absorption where skill and challenge are perfectly balanced. In the studio, I periodically experience flow, losing track of time as I become fully immersed in the work. Those moments are among the most rewarding in my creative practice.
Ah, yes ... flow, that wondrous time-suspending experience. I'm in it often. Thanks for reminding me.
I enjoy language too. It's interesting to learn the root of words, so I can see how they evolved into fitting the needs of today. The willing suspension of disbelief is so much nicer to hear than negative capability. It seems those phrases approach the subject from opposite mindsets.
Yes to opposite mindsets. I don't want to be negative in any way (except certain medical tests, lol) Glad you enjoyed reading it, Kit.
I was recently in Connemara also. I find all of my time in Ireland to be of a liquid experience. It is magical and definitely a place of mystery and beauty. I visited the grave of my favorite author, John O'Donohue who I dedicated my blog to in 2008. Beautiful post
All I can say is WOW, what a beautiful location, isn't it? I never thought to visit his grave but I did get them to take us to Keane's Pub where I believe he hung out. He is a hero mystic for so many. Just seeing Connemara makes me feel I know him more.
Oh my gosh, now that you mention it, first reading “the willing suspension of disbelief” as a young teen was an aha moment for me. I too find myself using this expression regularly. Thanks, Leslie, for this thoughtful piece for me to consider while I am in the hospital.
Yes, a more beautiful phrase, indeed. Inspiring.
Love this, Lesley, thank you. Have been reading around mindfulness a lot recently and ‘negative capability’ has real resonance with that headspace.
Madeleine L’Engle calls it Kairos time, in the flow time, as opposed to Chronos time, regular by the clock time.