Rocking Horse is Never a Pegasus
The above quote has been taken from a famous English poem “Sleep and Poetry” by John Keats. Keats was an English romantic poet of 19th century and a major figure in the Romantic movement characterized by a celebration of nature and the common man. It was a reaction to the so-called “Enlightenment” that was based on rationalism and classicism. According to Wikipedia, Romanticism thus contrasted sharply with the values of their contemporary industrial society, which they considered alienating for its economic materialism and environmental degradation.
Moreover, The Romantics loved nature and considered it to be an essential aspect of human life since it was a ‘spiritual source of renewal’ amidst the turbulence resulting form the rise of science and rampant materialism. You can read the full poem here:
According to Greek mythology, Pegasus is a majestic winged horse, said to have been born from the blood of the Gorgon Medusa (a woman with living snakes in place of hair; her appearance was so hideous that anyone who looked upon her was turned to stone) when the hero Perseus (mortal son of the god Zeus) cuts off the head of Medusa and some of the blood falls into the sea. Out of the seafoam flew the mythical horse Pegasus. Magical wings allowed Pegasus to fly with great speed and agility. He is not only capable of flying but is also immortal.
Medusa, on the contrary, symbolizes the curse of “inertia” as she causes everything she looks at to turn to stone. She is a monster with living snakes in place of hair and a terrifying appearance (materialism). she is greedy, manipulative, and duplicitous person who loves and thus is obsessed with diamonds, instead of flowers. And Following the moment her head was removed, a Pegasus flew out of her body, representing the birth of beauty of imagination and creativity that is the essence of the poetry of Romantics like John Keats.
Pegasus also became the favorite of Zeus, the chief god or the king of all gods who ruled from his home on Mount Olympus. The Greeks believed that whenever Zeus wanted to throw his thunderbolt, Pegasus brought him the thunder and lightning. Moreover, riding him was synonymous to “flying” to the heavens.
On the other hand a rocking horse goes nowhere and is, like Medusa who is after the Devils’ eye (the world’s biggest diamond) a symbol of ruthless pursuit of money, fame, and social approval. D.H. Lawrence’s short story, “The Rocking-Horse Winner,” is also a poignant exploration of the destructive nature of materialism and the pursuit of wealth that seemed to be the sole purpose of many, especially after the industrial revolution that was the by-product of Baconian Science.
Thus in the above quote, according to some commentators, Keats compares 18th century ‘s neoclassical poets (foppish who revered the established, unquestioned values, and institutions) to infants riding upon a wooden rocking horse, thinking or pretending that they were mounted on Pegasus. Keats, on the other hand is said to have boldly aligned himself with Wordsworth’s naturalism, attacking the “foppery” of neoclassicism. Neoclassicim was also an age of so-called logic and reason. While, in the age of Romanticism, the reason was replaced by imagination (that has magical wings like Pegasus) in the view of some literary critics it was also an age of leaning away from the Augustan delight in reason (and focus on rules, reason, and wit over emotion) to a new passion for mystery and supernatural, a reaction against materialism and the recognition of the importance of imagination.
Moreover, if intelligence is defined as thinking logically then computers are already smarter than we are because they’re much better at logical thinking than we are. But nobody can claim that machines are better than humans.
And as imagination fuels progress and ignites creativity and innovation inspiring us to push boundaries, challenge norms, and bring about change through inventive solutions, it is like Pegasus. On the other hand, logic can be limiting, as it is bound by the constraints of what is already known and understood. Thus logic is like a rocking horse that can’t go beyond the known. And although logic may help us understand the world or that already exists, but the world is not logic itself. The world is beyond logic.
In another (non-literary) context, it also means that every activity is not the same as productivity or creativity. And every motion is not an action.
Ironically, still many people confuse motion with progress and remain or pretend to be busy (in their so-called pursuits that can best be called inanities) so that they could feel or make other feel that they really are making progress or achieving some grand objective(s).
An obvious example is that of social media users (facebook, X, Instagram, Tiktok etc.) who ride their rocking horse and have the illusion that it is their Pegasus that will help them reach Mt. Olympus (an exalted position or the abode of the gods) to bring Dawn (or light of wisdom) each day across the sky of thoughts.
They are also like a rabbit or hare in the story “Slow and Steady Wins the Race” who is always boastful and overconfident just because he can run very fast. But he does’n know that it is reaching the destination that is important rather than running very fast.
I am reproducing a popular version of the story for your ready reference:
“A Hare was making fun of the Tortoise one day for being so slow.
“Do you ever get anywhere?” he asked with a mocking laugh.
“Yes,” replied the Tortoise, “and I get there sooner than you think. I’ll run you a race and prove it.”
The Hare was much amused at the idea of running a race with the Tortoise, but for the fun of the thing he agreed. So the Fox, who had consented to act as judge, marked the distance and started the runners off.
The Hare was soon far out of sight, and to make the Tortoise feel very deeply how ridiculous it was for him to try a race with a Hare, he lay down beside the course to take a nap until the Tortoise should catch up.
The Tortoise meanwhile kept going slowly but steadily, and, after a time, passed the place where the Hare was sleeping. But the Hare slept on very peacefully; and when at last he did wake up, the Tortoise was near the goal. The Hare now ran his swiftest, but he could not overtake the Tortoise in time.
Even some presumably smartest people make the mistake of assuming that motion or more specifically senseless motion is equal to a meaningful action. Thus they keep on doing as well as amassing more things or repeating the same to feel they are going somewhere, instead of doing things that can really have an impact or make life meaningful. That is why, they reach nowhere in spite of running very very fast. And, like hare (or can we say like Mr. Donald Trump who is also busy making America great again, after ignominious defeats in Vietnam, Afghanistan etc. and for this purpose keeps drinking 6–8 cokes a day after letting states legalize marijuana) in the above story, act in a completely capricious manner. Just as hare challenged the tortoise to a race on a whim, their actions are more like a show off or reaction rather than chosen in accord with any specified goals or reaching a destination causing them to be superfluous and costly.
And here is another relevant saying:
As the rabbit believes more in “speed” than goal or “direction”, he acts thoughtlessly on impulse, losing the race and his self-esteem too. On the other hand, tortoise focuses on direction and purpose and thus acts thoughtfully and systematically in accord with his goal of winning the race or reaching his destination. He is also not madly in competition. Not only does he choose and maintain a sustainable pace for his own ability, but also remains patient and focused. Unlike the hare, he knows in which direction to go and does not stop to boast nor think myopically. In addition to being goal oriented, he also adopts a long term strategy.
Thus people who are always busy without any direction and purpose are like babies riding their fast moving “rocking horse or “treading water in the vast sea of stagnation” or “stuck in the quicksand of inertia.”
Their predicament is also well explained in the Lewis Carroll’s classic children’s tale, Alice in Wonderland. One day Alice came to a fork in the road and saw a Cheshire cat in a tree and exchange of dialogue between Alice and the Cheshire Cat takes place as follows:
“Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?”
“That depends a good deal on where you want to get to,” said the Cat.
“I don’t much care where–” said Alice.
“Then it doesn’t matter which way you go,” said the Cat.
“–so long as I get SOMEWHERE,” Alice added as an explanation.
“Oh, you’re sure to do that,” said the Cat, “if you only walk long enough.”
Thus as fools don’t know what to do, they mostly keep walking on a beaten track or keep moving in circles to reach nowhere.
A little alteration to the quote makes it even more satirical and thought provoking:
And for these kind of people “the more things change, the more they remain the same.”
In sum, the tortoise acts in a principled and authentic manner while the hare acts merely on whim and has superficial values. However, the end of the story makes it evident which mode of action proved victorious, and it is from these facts that the moral of the story should be derived.
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Footnotes:
i) https://www.britannica.com/place/Mount-Olympus-mountain-Greece
ii) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pegasus
iii) https://read.gov/aesop/025.html
vi) https://greekmythologytours.com/blog/greek-mythology/enigmatic-medusa-symbolism
