Astronomy And Religion

For many ages, astronomy has had a considerable impact on the thoughts and dreams of man. The Mayan society was one where the stars and constellations were deeply rooted in the foundations of their culture. Many works of literature also have had this impact of astronomy. The poem “A Star in a Stoneboat” is one such work of literature that has this impact. Through this poem, Frost argues that astronomy is essential to the progression of culture. He reinforces his argument via astronomy’s effect on the development of the arts, society, and religion. In Frost’s poetry, there is a clear connection between astronomy and his major themes. One example of this relationship is between this poem and the study of the stars. The name of the poem directly
relates itself to astronomy due to the significance of stars in astronomy. Robert Hass notes this correlation, as being “clear evidence that Frost was fascinated by the possibility of a flexible, indeterminate universe can be found in ‘Education by Poetry,’(Hass 275). Additionally, the poem relates to astronomy in another way: rhyming pattern. It is only appropriate to have a rhyming pattern in a poem about a star because of the correlation of patterns and astronomy through constellations, collections of stars that form a pattern in the sky. This link creates an overarching astronomical theme in the poem and art. Also, the correlation between stars and poetry shows that stars are muses for creativity, in turn, leading to the development of artistic culture. Frost argues that astronomy has an effect on the development of arts, especially beauty.
Throughout the poem there are many images of beauty, David Shaw notes this when he states,”The meteoric stone used to build the wall is fancifully described as the ‘star’ slipped from ‘heaven’”(164). The fanciful diction shows the beauty of stars. For example, in the poem, Frost writes,” And burning to yield flowers instead of grain,” linking the idea of beauty and stars through metaphor(l. 22). The contrast between grain and flowers is one between ugliness and beauty. Compared to flowers, grains appear to be lackluster, dry, and without life. Further evidence of stars depicted as beauty is seen through the phrase,” And a long Bird of Paradise’s tail,” which is a comparison between the path of a comet and tail of a bird(I. 16). The tail of a Bird of Paradise is one of much beauty, moreover, establishing the elegance of stars. About a similar poem,Fireflies in a Gardens, Judith Oster
states:
They are not content to be sparks, nor do they aspire to being celestial bodies; somewhere between the two conditions lied the figurative condition: sparks seeming like stars. For them it is enough.(Oster 207)
This idea of striving to be like a star or even resembling a star is also seen in “A Star in a Stoneboat”, “I never lift my eye / Except at night to places in the sky”(ll. 40-1). The last statement establishes the narrator as someone who gazes at the stars wishing to be like them. On the matter, Marion Montgomery states,”a barrier[between the stars and man]which man continually, and sometimes foolishly, tries to bridge” which shows how frivolous it is to strive to be like the stars(145). However, mankind still strives to do so even at great costs. To go to great lengths just to mirror the stars is just like a person changing their image to be like a celebrity; for that person, it is their source of beauty. For humanity, the heavens are their source of beauty. The relentless endeavor to appear like a star emphasizes that stars are the ideal beauty. Not only does Frost suggest that astronomy has direct effects on the progression of the arts but society also.
In the poem, the meteorite becomes a part of a wall, which serves a beneficial purpose to humans. Additionally, having the meteorite become a part of this wall also serves a symbolic purpose that stars help create or lay the foundations for society. A wall is most commonly used to keep things out but can also be used to keep people in. In other words, walls can be used to bring people together to create a society. In this poem, the wall is one that is used to band people together because of the first stanza,”Never tell me that not one star of all / That slip from heaven at night and softly fall / has been picked up with stones to build a wall”(ll. 1-3). The tone of the first stanza is clearly derogatory toward walls, therefore, this wall Frost is referring to at the beginning is one that separates people because of the negative connotations that comes with a wall meant to separate people. However, the meteorite is not a part of this detrimental wall. Since the narrator rejects walls as separators, the narrator is not talking about a dividing wall, therefore, establishing the wall with the meteorite as a
uniter.
Although astronomy is a science, it further helps with the development of religion. In his essay, “We Are Sick with Space” Hass writes:
Her son would eventually adopt her favorite philosopher’s creed, expressed in Nature, that observation of the Stars would ‘preserve for many generations the remembrance of the city of God.’(Hass 255) showing the connection between astronomy and religion. However, what Hass suggests about celestial research and religion is deeper than a connection; it is beneficiary. Hass establishes astronomy as an invigorator of religion. This idea is also seen in “A Star in a Stoneboat” with “a star of death and sin” which is a reference to Christianity’s association with death and sin. Also throughout the poem there is establishment as stars as hope,”I never lift my eye / except at night to places in the sky,”(ll. 40-1). Just like with religion, people look to stars for hope especially in times when everything seems hopeless. The great night sky gives people a visual interpretation of their higher being’s extraordinary power, therefore, strengthening their beliefs. Astronomy has been an essential part of human development throughout the ages. Robert Frost takes this idea and applies it to his poem,”A Star in a Stoneboat.” To him, astronomy helps advance culture,in three key areas, the arts, society, and religion. Robert Frost shows that stars set standards for beauty and influences the creation of poetry. Additionally, stars help bring people together and guide people. Also, celestial bodies stirring hope in people just as religion does for people in arduous times. This brings up a vital issue: How important is astronomy for us? Although this question does not have an obvious answer, one can not deny the impact astronomy has on humanity and the potential it has for us in the future.