Do you think Astronomy influences poetry, literature, and the arts? Why?

Question

Do you think Astronomy influences poetry, literature, and the arts? Why?

Answer 1

Absolutely!  When I first began writing, most of what inspired me came from gazing at the moon and stars.  It's the mystery of what lies beyond and what it all means.  It's the unknown and how it moves us (spiritually, emotionally).  I've got pages of stuff I wrote when I was in high school about wishing on stars and talking to the moon.  I'm still inspired by the stars and all that inhabit the space above me.

Answer 2

Yes, poetry, literature & the arts are influenced by all human imaginations, studies, experiences & things-- known and unknown.

Why? Because it is the goal of these disciplines to express the  connections between things we know, feel or experience.

Astronomy & the Arts has been discussed by the Greeks, the Victorians and is a subject dating well before biblical times. Check out the recent PBS special  "Seeing in the Dark" at: http://www.pbs.org/seeinginthedark/resou...  to get a good list of some of the major visual, musical & poetic contributors.

I like the scientific/literate work of poet Rebecca Elson who wrote "A responsibility to Awe", "From Stones to Stars", "Traveling Light" and "Dark Matter." Though it is less easy to express when studying distant cluster systems, she grounds scientific work in human terms well.

On a personal level, I've even been inspired by astronomy to paint. Here is a little slideshow: http://picasaweb.google.com/ritzgreenwoo...

Hope this helps.

Riz