Sunday, February 3, 2013

Writing exercise:learning from the master

I'm still slowly working through Dinty Moore's Crafting the Personal Essay, and sharing my writing exercises, here at Tall Corn. This exercise involves an essay of Michael de Montaigne, and translating his words into the common speech of today.
 Here's the quoted text:

Others form man; I only report him: and represent a particular one, ill fashioned enough, and whom, if I had to model him anew, I should certainly make something else than what he is: but that’s past recalling. Now, though the features of my picture alter and change, ’tis not, however, unlike: the world eternally turns round; all things therein are incessantly moving, the earth, the rocks of Caucasus, and the pyramids of Egypt, both by the public motion and their own. Even constancy itself is no other but a slower and more languishing motion. I cannot fix my object; ’tis always tottering and reeling by a natural giddiness: I take it as it is at the instant I consider it; I do not paint its being, I paint its passage; not a passing from one age to another, or, as the people say, from seven to seven years, but from day to day, from minute to minute.
Here's my effort:

Man is what he is, but not perfect, and given the opportunity I would change him, but that's not possible. My perspective changes, much like the world turns and time marches on, both in ages and minute by minute.

Can't tell I have been writing in broadcast style for 25 years, lol. Not sure I have the gist of this one, I think he's talking about the flaws of man that he would change, and that those flaws also change just like time moves on and time changes things.