Metamorphosis, transformation – whatever you want to call it – is happening all around us. The Universe is constantly in motion, and this motion necessitates a previous form to change or mutate into another.
Most of us notice metamorphosis only when it occurs at a fast pace and resulting in a radical change, but in reality, most transformations are subtle. Take evolution, for instance. It took billions of years for us to look the way we look now, but even now we are still evolving. The entire evolutionary tree is a road-map of transformation from simpler organisms to more complex ones. These subtle transformations are really the kind that only romantics tend to notice, no offense meant towards the more cardinal-minded, of course. If we trace our origins to the beginning of time, then we could even say that we transformed from the stars themselves.
The subtlety of metamorphosis can even be witnessed on a daily basis. During the spring, dew forms on plants and trees at dawn, but come sunrise, it is gone. Well, not really gone. The water evaporated, transformed into steam. Rain is the result of this steam condensing into clouds and then transforming into water when clouds become overburdened with it, thus repeating the cycle.
Humans reflect the cycle of metamorphosis as well. The most obvious metamorphosis we undergo is age, but there is also the mental metamorphosis that is perhaps, not as obvious to third parties. We were not the same people we were years ago, months ago, or even a day ago. The fastest transformation in humans is probably on the emotional spectrum, though.
The riddle of metamorphosis has plagued poets and scientists alike. In his Metamorphoses, Ovid connects more radical and romanticized folklore of transformations to perhaps make us more aware of this phenomenon. In his poem, people transform into water, trees, animals and even gods. When reading this poem, one cannot help but spark an emotional attachment to one story or another. My favorite is a story (I cannot recall the specifics) wherein a woman is crying and transforms into water while doing so.
My personal opinion is that the allure of metamorphosis could be rooted in our instinct to overcome current circumstances through change, our deep understanding that we are part of an incomprehensible cycle that warrants no end, our desire to know who we are and our purpose in life, or all of them combined. Most of all, perhaps it makes us reflect on our fleeting mortality. This might be why the promise of eternal life by religions is gobbled up by the masses who do not want to cease existing in their current form.
Regardless of what we may think of metamorphosis, whether we wish to see it as a scientific process or as a poetic story, it will continue to intrigue and inspire. The entire Universe itself is a giant painting of metamorphosis, and we are but tiny specks in this grand tapestry.
Most of us notice metamorphosis only when it occurs at a fast pace and resulting in a radical change, but in reality, most transformations are subtle. Take evolution, for instance. It took billions of years for us to look the way we look now, but even now we are still evolving. The entire evolutionary tree is a road-map of transformation from simpler organisms to more complex ones. These subtle transformations are really the kind that only romantics tend to notice, no offense meant towards the more cardinal-minded, of course. If we trace our origins to the beginning of time, then we could even say that we transformed from the stars themselves.
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Humans reflect the cycle of metamorphosis as well. The most obvious metamorphosis we undergo is age, but there is also the mental metamorphosis that is perhaps, not as obvious to third parties. We were not the same people we were years ago, months ago, or even a day ago. The fastest transformation in humans is probably on the emotional spectrum, though.
The riddle of metamorphosis has plagued poets and scientists alike. In his Metamorphoses, Ovid connects more radical and romanticized folklore of transformations to perhaps make us more aware of this phenomenon. In his poem, people transform into water, trees, animals and even gods. When reading this poem, one cannot help but spark an emotional attachment to one story or another. My favorite is a story (I cannot recall the specifics) wherein a woman is crying and transforms into water while doing so.
My personal opinion is that the allure of metamorphosis could be rooted in our instinct to overcome current circumstances through change, our deep understanding that we are part of an incomprehensible cycle that warrants no end, our desire to know who we are and our purpose in life, or all of them combined. Most of all, perhaps it makes us reflect on our fleeting mortality. This might be why the promise of eternal life by religions is gobbled up by the masses who do not want to cease existing in their current form.
Regardless of what we may think of metamorphosis, whether we wish to see it as a scientific process or as a poetic story, it will continue to intrigue and inspire. The entire Universe itself is a giant painting of metamorphosis, and we are but tiny specks in this grand tapestry.
