The dark night that from the eye his function takes,
The ear quicker of apprehension makes;
Wherein in doth impair the seeing sense,
It pays the hearing double recompense.
Thou art not by mine eye, Lysander, found;
Mine ear, I thank it, brought me to thy sound.
But why unkindly didst thou leave me so? (Shakespeare 52)
This passage dwells upon the human senses at night. It is obvious that people cannot see enough at this particular time, at night. The author has chosen the specific words for describing human feelings, thus, describing the simple blindness because of the dark time, the author refers to specific scientific terminology, “function” and “response.” These words are more appropriate for the discussion of the research, but not the senses. The choice of these words may be explained by the desire to show that human senses are particular processes which require adequate treatment.
Further, the author refers to the possibilities of better hearing but worse look as to the art. It seems that the author wants to find an explanation for the process of change. When night comes, people suffer from impairing the seeing sense and the doubling of the hearing. Calling this an art, the author wants to show how much miracle is there in the human body. The word art is defined by the Oxford English Dictionary as “a human creative skill or its application” (n.p.). Thus, the author wants to show that art is not just the things people create but also the skills they possess. Moreover, the Oxford English Dictionary refers to the word “art” to “mystery,” which is exactly the case in this passage.
Works Cited
Shakespeare, William. A Midsummer Night’s Dream. New York: Forgotten Books, 2008. Print.
Oxford English Dictionary, 2011. Web.