Relativity applies to physics, not ethics.
--Albert Einstein--
Sunday, June 19, 2005
a little about Hans Christian Andersen
Hans Christian Andersen was born in Odense, Denmark, on April 2, 1805, so that's makes 2005 it's 200th birthday anniversary.
Still as a child Andersen showed great imagination, he built himself a little toy-theatre and sat at home making clothes for his puppets, and reading all the plays that he could borrow; among them were those of Ludvig Holberg and William Shakespeare. Andersen, throughout his childhood, had a passionate love for literature. He was known to memorize entire Shakespeare plays and recite them using his wooden dolls as the characters.
At age 14, Andersen moved to Copenhagen to look for work in show business. He had a pleasant soprano voice and succeeded in getting into the Royal Danish Theatre but had to leave when his voice changed.
King Frederick VI became interested in the strange boy after a chance meeting and sent him for some years, free of charge, to the grammar-school at Slagelse. Before he started for school, Andersen published his first volume, The Ghost at Palnatoke's Grave (1822).
Some hold that his works express the sorrow of being different. One of the most telling stories in that respect is the tale of the Little Mermaid, who takes her own life since she cannot be loved by her beautiful prince. It is thought to exemplify his love for the young Edward Collin, to whom he wrote: "I languish for you as for a pretty Calabrian wench . . . my sentiments for you are those of a woman. The femininity of my nature and our friendship must remain a mystery." Collin, who was not erotically attracted to men, wrote in his own Memoirs: "I found myself unable to respond to this love", and this caused the author much suffering. Likewise, the infatuations of the author for the Danish dancer Harlod Scharf and the young duke of Weimar probably remained on a Platonic level. Andersen's private journal records his refusal to have sexual relations with either men or women and his release through masturbation. Today he would have been considered asexual.
In the spring of 1872, Andersen fell out of bed and severely hurt himself. He was never again quite well, but he lived until the August 4, 1875, when he died very peacefully in the house called Rolighed, near Copenhagen. He is buried in the Assistens Cemetery, in Copenhagen, Denmark.
His best-known fairy tales include:
* The Angel
* The Bell
* The Emperor's New Clothes
* The Emperor's Nightingale
* The Fir Tree
* The Little Match Girl
* The Little Mermaid
* The Real Princess
* Red Shoes
* The Snow Queen
* The Steadfast Tin Soldier
* The Swineherd
* Thumbelina
* The Ugly Duckling
* The Old House
* The Happy Family
* The Story of a Mother
* The Shadow
* The Dream of Little Tuk
* Wild Swans
The Steadfast Tin Soldier
"I cannot bear it!" said the pewter soldier. "I have shed pewter tears! It is too melancholy! Rather let me go to the wars and lose arms and legs! It would at least be a change. I cannot bear it longer! Now, I know what it is to have a visit from one's old thoughts, with what they may bring with them! I have had a visit from mine, and you may be sure it is no pleasant thing in the end; I was at last about to jump down from the drawers."
--Hans Christian Andersen--
Life's Melody
Life is like a beautiful melody, only the lyrics are messed up.
--Hans Christian Andersen--
--Hans Christian Andersen--
Thursday, June 16, 2005
Wednesday, June 01, 2005
madness
I can calculate the motion of heavenly bodies but not the madness of people.
-- Isaac Newton --
-- Isaac Newton --
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