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Travel By Candlelight

How many miles to Babylon?
Three score and ten.
Can I get there by candlelight?
Yes, and back again.

- Mother Goose Sonnet,
Oxford Book of Light Verse, The. W. H. Auden, ed. (1938) 
This poem seems to be giving expression of the twin paradox or of  time travel (not travelling back in time, but at the speed of light). Can I get there by candlelight?/Yes, and back again. This gives me a slight impression of travelling at the speed of 'c', light speed constant, 3*10^8 m/s. And, if it's truly so, then what a journey! as this sonnet was written in 17-18Th century by Harriet S. Morgridge. And, the possibility objectively realised in 20Th century. Even though the dream maybe more a few centuries old, yet the doors of possibilities are fully open.

5 did criticisms:

Naeema Akram-Jehanzeb said...

For some very strange and unknown reason, these verse reminded me of Yeats' The Second Coming... really don't know why! Mind makes strange inexplicable connections...

Anonymous said...

Or as gladwell dares to say, The Power of Thinking without thinking :-) isn't it?

But I'm unable to understand what he said. Abduallh yusuf's many a metaphysics were solved by him...

Humble regrads.

humanobserver said...

A nice poem ...

Scribblers Inc said...

the verse carries extreme significance from a scientific view point it seems...one steeped in literature alone would not perhaps notice it even! :D

Scribblers Inc.

P.S.- Thank you for being on my blog...much appreciated! :)

M. Umer Toor said...

scientific empiricism and subjectivity of humanities - what a blend, with their own pros and cons :)

@ Scribblers,

Your posts deserved.
Thanks for the visit though...

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