The Poetic Doyen of Evolution
Serene climate falls under the blue sky, and tiny droplets of water start their odyssey all over again into the womb of mother earth to form the precious entities of life.
Reading into the onset of nature gives one the extreme pleasure of knowledge and learning. Perhaps this pleasure or joy comes from our ancestors, who were much closer to nature and life itself than we are. Life is omnipresent. In my opinion, observing these beautiful entities of life, whether it be a bee, a crow, or as simple as a housefly, is experiencing life itself.
It is said that the first form of life on Earth was microscopic and formed in water. Throughout the years, this minuscule being evolved to be as gigantic as the blue whale! This instance provides the observation that evolution has been occurring since the rise of life on Earth and will continue to prevail.
Whenever evolution is concerned, one of the great names that pop up in most of our minds is that of Charles Darwin due to his exemplary work in the field.
Charles Robert Darwin (1809–1882) was the most remarkable and well-known naturalist. He provided the ‘Scientific Theory of Evolution by Natural Selection’ to natural and life sciences about sixteen decades ago. Even today, people consider him one of the most influential people when studying these themes. He introduced his initial theory of evolution to the very skeptical Victorians of his time: it included the broad notion that animals and humans share the same ancestry, for which he received a lot of criticism, especially from the Church. However, it eventually gained popularity and became the subject he would continue to research throughout his life.
But when most of us think of Darwin, we would probably think of evolution, biology, geology, and so on. Yet, what if I tell you that Darwin wrote as lyrically as a novelist would? Yes, he did! In fact, when I was reading through his works, I could not believe that he was not just a writer but also a naturalist attempting to figure out his theory of evolution!
Darwin began On the Origin of Species (published in 1859; debuted his theory of evolution) with the description of his process of developing the hypotheses and concepts before going in-depth into the core theory.
His process commenced when he went on a five-year expedition around the world. He observed various climates, animals, plants, and even different cultures and societies. The published memoir of this voyage, The Voyage of the Beagle (1839), expresses his odyssey using ‘literary’ writing rather than scientific.
Naturally, most scientists arrive directly to the point when writing or while researching their subjects. Nevertheless, Darwin adopts a different approach — he observes the co-existence in nature. He explores a variety of plants, animals, atmosphere, and so on, accompanied by the descriptions of their mutual existence with human society. Darwin’s writing is literary because he discovers all his concerns, writes about them, and finally prepares scientific notes about his observations.
“ . . . The day has passed delightfully. Delight itself, however, is a weak term to express the feelings of a naturalist who, for the first time, has wandered by himself in a Brazilian forest. The elegance of the grasses, the novelty of the parasitical plants, the beauty of the flowers, the glossy green of the foliage, but above all the general luxuriance of the vegetation, filled me with admiration. A most paradoxical mixture of sound and silence pervades the shady parts of the wood. The noise from the insects is so loud, that it may be heard even in a vessel anchored several hundred yards from the shore; yet within the recesses of the forest a universal silence appears to reign. . . . ” (Darwin 12)
The above excerpt from The Voyage of the Beagle expresses Darwin’s feelings when he arrived in Brazil. He draws attention to how beautiful the atmosphere and the environment is as if he were writing a poem!
When I read it, I felt the atmosphere around me changing; I was perfectly able to imagine and experience what he wrote. You might even start imagining your favourite climate, area, memories, people, or even that feeling of ecstasy when you are in a place very close to nature.
The horizon of feelings and imaginations become unlimited and lead to joyous notes in one’s heart when reading such compositions. This is a true sign of an impeccable writer. His words pleasure the reader as if they were accompanying him and are encountering this experience in a beautiful Brazilian forest. This implies that he loved nature from the bottom of his heart. In addition to this adoration, the art of using and placing words that fit together to form an emotionally evoking passage makes Darwin a poetic writer.
Although Darwin was in the initial stage of exploring his theory when he wrote The Voyage of the Beagle, he was explorative and ambiguous with his words about his subjects. Later, this ambiguity progressed towards more precise ideas, which can be seen in his later works, like On the Origin of Species or The Descent of Man.
Many readers view Darwin’s work as a scientist penning down his theories, rather than as a person illustrating his ideas. Yes, Darwin was a naturalist, and it informed his work. However, every discovery, whether scientific or not, stems from the point of exploration and observation of art, culture, society, and environment because life experiences are significant areas of knowledge.
Moreover, Darwin desired to establish a comfortable and contented way of communicating with his readers. Even though some of his popular ideas were controversial, he wanted to challenge his readers and expand the horizons of their thinking.
In The Voyage of the Beagle, he often links scientific findings or observations with a philosophical approach or an artistic/poetic perspective. This connection helps the readers understand the science better and aids them to reflect upon their beliefs about a particular concept. Since he talks about life sciences, it is essential that the readers connect life with science and understand life as a whole concept through holistic notions rather than compartmentalising it.
“ . . . To admit that species generally become rare before they become extinct — to feel no surprise at the comparative rarity of one species with another, and yet to call in some extraordinary agent and to marvel greatly when a species ceases to exist, appears to me much the same as to admit that sickness in the individual is the prelude to death — to feel no surprise at sickness — but when the sick man dies to wonder, and to believe that he died through violence. . . . ” (Darwin 190)
The stated passage talks about the extinction of species but takes quite a turn and links this notion with a sick man’s death!
Darwin wants to convey that most people admit that species become rare before they become extinct. They feel no surprise when the rarity of the two species is compared. Yet, after it is non-existent, they are astonished by the cessation of the species. This idea is compared to the notion that a man’s sickness is the preface to his death; people feel no surprise at the illness, but when the man actually passes away, they wonder with astonishment and sadness about his death.
This is a philosophical concept about human conditioning. It exclaims how humans do not want to accept decay, although they admit that sickness and death are a part of life. Nevertheless, Darwin uses it to talk about science. This connection between behaviour/thinking and life helps the reader link their actions with life events and experiences! To me, this quality of Darwin’s writing is astonishing because of the unique affiliations he makes!
Apart from scientific and philosophical writing, Darwin has even exclaimed his views on social issues such as slavery and the ill-treatment of domestic animals. He points out that it is our greatest sin if an animal (or a man) suffers due to our society’s rules and not that of nature’s.
At this point, you might think he talks about each and every discipline in his memoir. This is a very accurate thought, but I consider it as his observation of biodiversity and co-existence in nature. Nature is based on these concepts: different types of animals, plants, bacteria, viruses, humans, and others all live together while using natural resources. This is nature’s way of creating interdisciplinary experiences and learning for all living beings. Similarly, our holistic thinking helps us live together within our society and nature. It is the key to our life.
Therefore, a ‘purist’ outlook in any discipline or even in life is a very tough job to carry out. We are always engaged in compiling knowledge from different areas. Being stuck in one domain of lore limits our thinking and stops us from broadening our horizons. This interdisciplinary learning or thinking makes us who we are. It helps us bring creativity and innovation to the beautiful world of our planet.
Editor - Shaon Bandopadhyay
Head Editor - Vibhavari Desai
Further readings:
Charles Darwin’s Debt to the Romantics
Darwin, Charles. The Voyage of the Beagle. Peacock Books, 2018.
Roth, Michael. “Re-imagining the World III.” The Modern and the Postmodern (Part I), Wesleyan University, Coursera.
Copyright © Prabha Kulkarni, 2020.
