- Published on
Shakespeare in Cosmos is the second part of Ozar, the first book in the pentalogy The World in Nowhereness. Shakespeare serves as the guiding light for the mystical traveler embarking on a journey to the enigmatic planet Zena, where they will encounter children possessing intelligence levels surpassing Earth's geniuses. The ruler of this extraordinary realm is a 10-year-old prodigy named Ozar, bearing the same name as the supreme God. Ozar holds countless mysteries of the Universe, safeguarded within a small, enigmatic box. The allure of this extraordinary encounter beckons, promising to unravel the secrets of the Cosmos and stargazing with Shakespeare in a mystical intergalactic theatre, unveiling the mysteries of the Universe through the Elizabethan wisdom of the Earthly playwright with a universal cosmic outlook. Shakespeare's timeless wisdom is a beacon for future cosmic travelers.
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The book is written in the form of the so-called prosimetrum—a combination of poetry and prose. It contains different poetic forms, predominantly sestinas, that have never been used in Serbian poetry, and quatro sestina have never been used anywhere in the world. The book characterizes epic momentum and various themes, including the Earthly dimension interwoven with extra-terrestrial and otherworldly dimensions embodied by the Cosmos and God. Also, the book contains elements of an epic work, essay, novel, drama, and a dominant line of pure philosophy.
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The Possibility of Cognition is the English translation of the last section of the second part of the third book in the pentalogy titled The World in Nowhereness. Originally written in Serbian, this work is a long, philosophical, and reflexive poem. It features a variety of unique sestinas, including some that have never been used before, such as the quatro sestina, which consists of 588 verses, organized into 24 stanzas with 24 verses each, plus an envoi with twelve verses. This is the first sestina of its kind.
This complex and philosophical poem explores themes of truth, knowledge, and enlightenment. Written in a unique sestina form, it engages with the relationship between the Creator and the act of understanding. The poem reflects a profound contemplation on the nature of cognition, contrasting light and darkness as metaphors for knowledge and ignorance. Throughout the verses, the speaker longs for a spark of wisdom that will bring clarity and understanding to the mysteries of existence. A recurring motif of light—representing truth and enlightenment—emerges from darkness, suggesting a journey from confusion to clarity. The poem also delves into the idea that sometimes truth can be deceptiveness, illustrating the complexities of perception. Moreover, the imagery of a blossoming rose symbolizes the beauty of revelation and genuine understanding. The speaker's plea for divine light to illuminate insights resonates with the quest for deeper comprehension and the elevation of the spirit. The poem captures the essence of a profound intellectual and spiritual journey, emphasizing the interplay between the search for truth and the nuances of cognition within all creation. Light imagery symbolizes hope, understanding, and enlightenment, while darkness represents confusion, solitude, and the unknown. The poem reflects that all creation and thought are interconnected, bound by light's radiance. It suggests that knowledge and understanding emerge from solitude and contemplation and that creativity and life emerge from darkness and light. The imagery of flowers and stars emphasizes the beauty and complexity of existence, while the tone is contemplative, dignified, and hopeful. This meditative poem encourages readers to look within themselves and find their light amid the darkness, suggesting that true power lies in understanding one's inner world.
This complex and philosophical poem explores themes of truth, knowledge, and enlightenment. Written in a unique sestina form, it engages with the relationship between the Creator and the act of understanding. The poem reflects a profound contemplation on the nature of cognition, contrasting light and darkness as metaphors for knowledge and ignorance. Throughout the verses, the speaker longs for a spark of wisdom that will bring clarity and understanding to the mysteries of existence. A recurring motif of light—representing truth and enlightenment—emerges from darkness, suggesting a journey from confusion to clarity. The poem also delves into the idea that sometimes truth can be deceptiveness, illustrating the complexities of perception. Moreover, the imagery of a blossoming rose symbolizes the beauty of revelation and genuine understanding. The speaker's plea for divine light to illuminate insights resonates with the quest for deeper comprehension and the elevation of the spirit. The poem captures the essence of a profound intellectual and spiritual journey, emphasizing the interplay between the search for truth and the nuances of cognition within all creation. Light imagery symbolizes hope, understanding, and enlightenment, while darkness represents confusion, solitude, and the unknown. The poem reflects that all creation and thought are interconnected, bound by light's radiance. It suggests that knowledge and understanding emerge from solitude and contemplation and that creativity and life emerge from darkness and light. The imagery of flowers and stars emphasizes the beauty and complexity of existence, while the tone is contemplative, dignified, and hopeful. This meditative poem encourages readers to look within themselves and find their light amid the darkness, suggesting that true power lies in understanding one's inner world.
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The World in Nowhereness is a translation of the pentalogy Svet u nigdini, written originally in Serbian. The titles of the individual books of this pentalogy are Ozar, The World and God, The World in Nowhereness, The World and People, The House of Light. The book is in the form of the so-called prosimetrum--a combination of poetry and prose. It contains 19 poetic forms that have never been used in Serbian poetry, four of which have never been used anywhere in the world. (One example: a double sonnet wreath with 29 sonnets appears for the first time in this book, which is unique in the world of poetry from a formal point of view.) The book characterizes epic momentum and various themes, including the Earthly dimension interwoven with extra-terrestrial and otherworldly dimensions embodied by the Cosmos and God. Also, the book contains elements of an epic work, essay, novel, drama, and a dominant line of pure philosophy.
THEY SAID ABOUT THE WORLD IN NOWHERENESS
“When I got my hands on Dejan Stojanović's book The World in Nowhereness, I was amazed and read the book with great pleasure. I did not even believe there was someone today who could write such a long poem, an epic, as if I opened to read the Iliad in our time. I recommend this book to all believers in poetry because faith in poetry is the same as faith in eternity and eternal life.”
— Matija Bećković
“The World in Nowhereness is Dejan Stojanović’s utopian absolute book, a Mallarméan absolute. An absolute story, or an absolute book, according to Borges, is a desert-like book: sandy, grainily unforeseeable, and corpuscularly innumerable. It is simultaneously a vision and a chimera. Isn’t that precisely why we long for an absolute book? The World in Nowhereness by Dejan Stojanović is, in his way, an embodiment of that dream.”
— Srba Ignjatović
“I have always wondered, even about my poetic work, what a total poem is… Can the pentalogy by Dejan Stojanović be called a total poem that every poet of note has dreamed about since Homer? I felt such impulses while reading The World in Nowhereness. This is an absolute poem, of an absolute system of thought that reaches across the totality of our civilizational legacies.”
-- Duško Novaković
“Exactly 17 years ago, in the last year of the 20th century, I came across the work of Dejan Stojanović, and then I wrote a text from which I will extract a few sentences. “Dejan Stojanović, in the last two years, made a real feat; he published six books, except for one, all books of poetry.” This first five-book collection was published in the last year of the 20th century, and here we are now with the five-book collection in the XXI century, nearing the end of the second decade. And then I also wrote the following: “Stojanović is a poet who searches for the perfect poetic form because at the same time he searches for the absolute meaning of human existence.” Whether it was a hunch or not, there is the Pentalogy, and there is that word, that concept – an absolute, an absolute book, an absolute poem that could be sensed even in that first pentalogy, in those poems that he published at that time.”
— Aleksandar Petrov (January 17, 2018)
“(The World in Nowhereness offers) the joy of cognition due to discoveries worthy of the Nobel Prize…”
-- Milan Lukić
“The World in Nowhereness is primarily the result of great literary ambition and faith in literature. It was not only Kiš who said that literature is created by form and that Sartre's quote should be placed at the entrance to the Association of Serbian Writers that “someone does not become a writer to say certain things, but to say them in a certain way.” Dejan Stojanović is one of those who think well about that way and think very sovereignly and broadly. Even in how he approaches the form, we can see the breadth of his education, including the humanities and the natural sciences. However, perhaps more than anything else, he enters into some area of spirituality and, I would even dare say, esoteric. If you read Dejan Stojanović, your life will not be the same – it will be better.”
— Muharem Bazdulj
“It has been quite a while since we had, if at all, a poetic pentalogy in Serbian poetry.”
-- Dušan Stojković
Dejan Stojanović's poetic-philosophical book The World in Nowhereness, both in form and content, is an original and exceptional literary work and can be considered a rare literary event in Serbian poetry and on the world stage.
— Nevena Vitošević
“It is every poet’s dream to write a relevant, unique, comprehensive book in which he will properly present all his thoughts and feelings that have appeared in his long conversations with the world. By the world, I mean everything manifested and abstract in (a) language, what is named, and what can be named. Dejan Stojanović’s extensive pentalogy The World in Nowhereness is an attempt at writing such a book. This pentalogy about the world and light is an ambitious endeavor.”
— Bratislav R. Milanović
“The World in Nowhereness, the pentalogy by Dejan Stojanović, is an unusual endeavor in Serbian literature.”
-- Nikola Marinković
“The World in Nowhereness, a poetic endeavor by Dejan Stojanović, is an exceptional occurrence in Serbian.”
-- Dragan Kolarević
“There are very few such books in Serbian literature.”
— Ivan Cvetanović
“(The publishing of The World in Nowhereness is) a significant date in contemporary Serbian poetry.”
-- Miljurko Vukadinović
“Steadfast and consistent, with his mapping out of circular trajectories in the realms of poetry and philosophy, and always being something more than the sum of all parts, Dejan Stojanović has proved to be a thinker of continuously inventive thought. He belongs to that creative ilk whose body of work affirms the permanence of the long-established unity of the Mystic and the Magus. On the one hand, he is one of those with extensive knowledge and who, according to Bela Hamvash, are Mystics. Yet, he is also one of the Magi, who also possesses knowledge, but one meant to encourage and reflect the urge to peer into the other, lesser-known or completely unexplored side, which light cannot reach at first glance.”
-- David Kecman Dako
Dejan Stojanović, a sincere devotee of both poetry and philosophy, achieved a real poetic feat in 2017 by publishing an extensive five-volume book titled The World in Nowhereness.
— Aleksandar B. Laković
“The author is deeply immersed in his attempt to decode the essence of
the universe, the meaning of the origin, and the persistence of being therein. He seeks balance and the possibility of introducing harmony into seemingly incompatible, disharmonious phenomena and concepts.”
-- Gordana Vlahović
“Dejan Stojanović offers us The World in Nowhereness, his latest book, as a spiritual anthology. This is an ambitious poetic and essayistic project in a predominantly philosophical, dense, and layered pentalogy about humanity as the source and the final destination of all visible and invisible worlds. The manuscript is presented in innovative, avant-garde form. Dejan Stojanović wisely and expertly intertwines poetry and prose, the epic and the lyrical, and the theoretical-critical.”
-- Zorica Arsić Mandarić
“Stojanović’s pronounced contemplativeness is what makes him stand out in the contemporary world of the poetic invention as one of the few being in no quandary about the equality of poetry and philosophy and the necessity of their proper understanding, as well as a deeper decoding of the meaning behind words. For that reason, I see his search in the book The World in Nowhereness as a quest for the meaning of elemental survival in a time that is alienated, brutally real, and preoccupied with everything and nothing.”
-- Vidak Maslovarić
“Stojanović’s poetic, prosaic, and dramatic approach represents, in a unique sense, an array of basic concepts and elements of human existence, its earthly and cosmic destiny. He tackles the subjects of freedom, the Absolute, God, the Devil, chaos, order, truth, the world, etc. The philosophical, the religious, and the poetic make up the basic core in the interpretation and understanding of the ontology of human survival.”
-- Jovo Cvjetković
THEY SAID ABOUT THE WORLD IN NOWHERENESS
“When I got my hands on Dejan Stojanović's book The World in Nowhereness, I was amazed and read the book with great pleasure. I did not even believe there was someone today who could write such a long poem, an epic, as if I opened to read the Iliad in our time. I recommend this book to all believers in poetry because faith in poetry is the same as faith in eternity and eternal life.”
— Matija Bećković
“The World in Nowhereness is Dejan Stojanović’s utopian absolute book, a Mallarméan absolute. An absolute story, or an absolute book, according to Borges, is a desert-like book: sandy, grainily unforeseeable, and corpuscularly innumerable. It is simultaneously a vision and a chimera. Isn’t that precisely why we long for an absolute book? The World in Nowhereness by Dejan Stojanović is, in his way, an embodiment of that dream.”
— Srba Ignjatović
“I have always wondered, even about my poetic work, what a total poem is… Can the pentalogy by Dejan Stojanović be called a total poem that every poet of note has dreamed about since Homer? I felt such impulses while reading The World in Nowhereness. This is an absolute poem, of an absolute system of thought that reaches across the totality of our civilizational legacies.”
-- Duško Novaković
“Exactly 17 years ago, in the last year of the 20th century, I came across the work of Dejan Stojanović, and then I wrote a text from which I will extract a few sentences. “Dejan Stojanović, in the last two years, made a real feat; he published six books, except for one, all books of poetry.” This first five-book collection was published in the last year of the 20th century, and here we are now with the five-book collection in the XXI century, nearing the end of the second decade. And then I also wrote the following: “Stojanović is a poet who searches for the perfect poetic form because at the same time he searches for the absolute meaning of human existence.” Whether it was a hunch or not, there is the Pentalogy, and there is that word, that concept – an absolute, an absolute book, an absolute poem that could be sensed even in that first pentalogy, in those poems that he published at that time.”
— Aleksandar Petrov (January 17, 2018)
“(The World in Nowhereness offers) the joy of cognition due to discoveries worthy of the Nobel Prize…”
-- Milan Lukić
“The World in Nowhereness is primarily the result of great literary ambition and faith in literature. It was not only Kiš who said that literature is created by form and that Sartre's quote should be placed at the entrance to the Association of Serbian Writers that “someone does not become a writer to say certain things, but to say them in a certain way.” Dejan Stojanović is one of those who think well about that way and think very sovereignly and broadly. Even in how he approaches the form, we can see the breadth of his education, including the humanities and the natural sciences. However, perhaps more than anything else, he enters into some area of spirituality and, I would even dare say, esoteric. If you read Dejan Stojanović, your life will not be the same – it will be better.”
— Muharem Bazdulj
“It has been quite a while since we had, if at all, a poetic pentalogy in Serbian poetry.”
-- Dušan Stojković
Dejan Stojanović's poetic-philosophical book The World in Nowhereness, both in form and content, is an original and exceptional literary work and can be considered a rare literary event in Serbian poetry and on the world stage.
— Nevena Vitošević
“It is every poet’s dream to write a relevant, unique, comprehensive book in which he will properly present all his thoughts and feelings that have appeared in his long conversations with the world. By the world, I mean everything manifested and abstract in (a) language, what is named, and what can be named. Dejan Stojanović’s extensive pentalogy The World in Nowhereness is an attempt at writing such a book. This pentalogy about the world and light is an ambitious endeavor.”
— Bratislav R. Milanović
“The World in Nowhereness, the pentalogy by Dejan Stojanović, is an unusual endeavor in Serbian literature.”
-- Nikola Marinković
“The World in Nowhereness, a poetic endeavor by Dejan Stojanović, is an exceptional occurrence in Serbian.”
-- Dragan Kolarević
“There are very few such books in Serbian literature.”
— Ivan Cvetanović
“(The publishing of The World in Nowhereness is) a significant date in contemporary Serbian poetry.”
-- Miljurko Vukadinović
“Steadfast and consistent, with his mapping out of circular trajectories in the realms of poetry and philosophy, and always being something more than the sum of all parts, Dejan Stojanović has proved to be a thinker of continuously inventive thought. He belongs to that creative ilk whose body of work affirms the permanence of the long-established unity of the Mystic and the Magus. On the one hand, he is one of those with extensive knowledge and who, according to Bela Hamvash, are Mystics. Yet, he is also one of the Magi, who also possesses knowledge, but one meant to encourage and reflect the urge to peer into the other, lesser-known or completely unexplored side, which light cannot reach at first glance.”
-- David Kecman Dako
Dejan Stojanović, a sincere devotee of both poetry and philosophy, achieved a real poetic feat in 2017 by publishing an extensive five-volume book titled The World in Nowhereness.
— Aleksandar B. Laković
“The author is deeply immersed in his attempt to decode the essence of
the universe, the meaning of the origin, and the persistence of being therein. He seeks balance and the possibility of introducing harmony into seemingly incompatible, disharmonious phenomena and concepts.”
-- Gordana Vlahović
“Dejan Stojanović offers us The World in Nowhereness, his latest book, as a spiritual anthology. This is an ambitious poetic and essayistic project in a predominantly philosophical, dense, and layered pentalogy about humanity as the source and the final destination of all visible and invisible worlds. The manuscript is presented in innovative, avant-garde form. Dejan Stojanović wisely and expertly intertwines poetry and prose, the epic and the lyrical, and the theoretical-critical.”
-- Zorica Arsić Mandarić
“Stojanović’s pronounced contemplativeness is what makes him stand out in the contemporary world of the poetic invention as one of the few being in no quandary about the equality of poetry and philosophy and the necessity of their proper understanding, as well as a deeper decoding of the meaning behind words. For that reason, I see his search in the book The World in Nowhereness as a quest for the meaning of elemental survival in a time that is alienated, brutally real, and preoccupied with everything and nothing.”
-- Vidak Maslovarić
“Stojanović’s poetic, prosaic, and dramatic approach represents, in a unique sense, an array of basic concepts and elements of human existence, its earthly and cosmic destiny. He tackles the subjects of freedom, the Absolute, God, the Devil, chaos, order, truth, the world, etc. The philosophical, the religious, and the poetic make up the basic core in the interpretation and understanding of the ontology of human survival.”
-- Jovo Cvjetković
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Ozar is the first book in the pentalogy, The World in Nowhereness. The book's first part, titled OZAR, is the voyage toward God, but the voyage starts with the journey inward through the mystical traveler himself. After the mystical traveler encounters Homer and speaks to him, Homer advises him to continue his voyage in the direction of Shakespeare. Thus, the book's second part, Shakespeare in Cosmos, continues this voyage. The travelers in a cosmic ship land on Planet Zena, where children of 10 years are more intelligent than the most outstanding geniuses on Earth. Eventually, they meet the Chief of Children, also called Ozar. At one point, Ozar shows them a little box containing all the secrets of the Cosmos they resolved.
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This captivating book challenges readers to reflect on the foundational principles of reality, existence, and the eternal dance between light and darkness. The book contemplates the nature of existence and invites readers to ponder the forces that govern the Universe. The book's main philosophical ideas and messages revolve around the universal dualisms between mind and matter, darkness and light, God and the Devil, and good and evil. The book examines collisions and harmonies of reality, complexities of life, suffering, and paradoxes relating to the physical nature of the Universe, society, and questions like justice or injustice, suggesting that pain and joy coexist as vital elements of the human experience. The book unfolds through a hierarchy that guides us from the unity of God and Zero through chaos and harmony to the infinite journey of self-discovery. Each segment builds upon the last, weaving together concepts of space, time, and eternity as they converge into the essence of being and the divine. The book invites deep reflection on the nature of reality and self, trying to decipher the origin of the Universe. It establishes that there is an Absolute as the highest principle and Being. The Being and the Nonbeing are God and Nothingness. Absolute is both the Being and the Nonbeing, Everything and Nothing. The book shows how vital nothingness is in the creation of the Universe. The world and the Universe are impossible without Nothingness or Nonbeing, as an almost equally important member of the ABSOLUTE TRIAD: ABSOLUTE = Being + Nonbeing.
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Nowhereness in the World is the English translation of the third volume in the ambitious pentalogy titled The World in Nowhereness (Serbian: Svet u nigdini), originally penned in Serbian. While the third book shares the overarching title of the entire series, this particular edition is differentiated by using Nowhereness in the World (Serbian: Nigdina u svetu). This differentiation specifically refers to the second part of the third book, thereby helping the readers understand the structure of the pentalogy and minimizing any potential confusion.
The book blends poetry and prose, so-called prosimetrium, presenting a unique literary structure that invites readers into a rich mosaic of expression. It boasts 17 distinct poetic forms, some of which have not been used in Serbian literary tradition, and some innovative forms have not been used worldwide. An epic quality marks the narrative momentum of Nowhereness in the World, weaving together various themes and concepts that explore the earthly experiences with extraterrestrial and otherworldly dimensions, symbolically represented by the cosmos and elements of divinity.
Two other innovative forms not previously utilized in Serbian poetry reside outside this central volume. The double sonnet wreath, a pioneering achievement, is in the second part of the first book, Shakespeare in Cosmos, while ghazals are in the final volume, The Home of Light. This remarkable series invites readers to explore uncharted literary territories and promises to redefine their understanding of what literature can achieve.
The book blends poetry and prose, so-called prosimetrium, presenting a unique literary structure that invites readers into a rich mosaic of expression. It boasts 17 distinct poetic forms, some of which have not been used in Serbian literary tradition, and some innovative forms have not been used worldwide. An epic quality marks the narrative momentum of Nowhereness in the World, weaving together various themes and concepts that explore the earthly experiences with extraterrestrial and otherworldly dimensions, symbolically represented by the cosmos and elements of divinity.
Two other innovative forms not previously utilized in Serbian poetry reside outside this central volume. The double sonnet wreath, a pioneering achievement, is in the second part of the first book, Shakespeare in Cosmos, while ghazals are in the final volume, The Home of Light. This remarkable series invites readers to explore uncharted literary territories and promises to redefine their understanding of what literature can achieve.
- Published on
The World and Humans is a captivating collection of poetic reflections and philosophical insights that delve into the intricate relationship between nature and humanity. This thought-provoking work centers on the essence of being human, exploring profound themes such as thought, language, truth, madness, and the constructs of society. Through a series of reflective pieces, the book invites readers to engage with their own experiences and grapple with existential questions.
Structured into six evocative, poetic sequences—“Meditations,” “Toys and Machines,” “Thought and Touch,” “Traps,” “Paradise in Tales,” and “Time and Value”—each section delivers a unique perspective. The “Meditations” cycle features titles like “The Sun and Sea Stars,” “The Sea and the Sky,” “The Sea and Silence,” “Shores,” “Meditation,” “Stellar Waste,” and “Various Dimensions.” These poems convey a serene, meditative tone, emphasizing the vital relationship between humanity and the natural world and advocating for a balanced way of living.
In striking contrast, the “Traps” cycle presents a biting critique of global injustices through irony and satire. This section challenges readers, particularly those in privileged positions, to confront their responsibilities in addressing these pressing issues. Ultimately, the book constructs a rich tapestry of ideas that compel readers to reflect on the nature of truth, the power of communication, and the inherent paradoxes of human existence. Every section beckons deeper contemplation of how these themes resonate within individual lives and across society, making it an essential read for anyone seeking to understand the complexities of human experience.
Structured into six evocative, poetic sequences—“Meditations,” “Toys and Machines,” “Thought and Touch,” “Traps,” “Paradise in Tales,” and “Time and Value”—each section delivers a unique perspective. The “Meditations” cycle features titles like “The Sun and Sea Stars,” “The Sea and the Sky,” “The Sea and Silence,” “Shores,” “Meditation,” “Stellar Waste,” and “Various Dimensions.” These poems convey a serene, meditative tone, emphasizing the vital relationship between humanity and the natural world and advocating for a balanced way of living.
In striking contrast, the “Traps” cycle presents a biting critique of global injustices through irony and satire. This section challenges readers, particularly those in privileged positions, to confront their responsibilities in addressing these pressing issues. Ultimately, the book constructs a rich tapestry of ideas that compel readers to reflect on the nature of truth, the power of communication, and the inherent paradoxes of human existence. Every section beckons deeper contemplation of how these themes resonate within individual lives and across society, making it an essential read for anyone seeking to understand the complexities of human experience.
- Published on
The Home of Light explores essential themes of hope, memory, love, and the relentless passage of time. It asserts that while the world continues its unyielding march forward, we can lock precious memories within its confines, bridging the crucial gaps between beginnings and endings. The poems command attention by highlighting the transformative forces of light and truth. They depict an urgent desire for refuge in “the land where lilies don’t die,” a realm untainted by despair. In confronting life’s challenges, the verses celebrate the beauty and significance of transient moments while acknowledging their inevitable disappearance. This collection firmly asserts that unexpressed pain does not diminish its potency, nor does speaking the truth fail to heal. The impact of well-chosen words resonates strongly, emphasizing that meaning derives from spoken and unvoiced emotions. The vivid imagery of nature and daily life reinforces the connections that unite individual experiences with the greater human narrative, reminding us that each memory carries the weight of hope and the promise of renewal.
CITIES
The last sequence in the book, titled “Cities,” presents some of the most significant world urban identities, each city encapsulating distinct ideals and cultural significance throughout history. Here are the brief descriptions of some of the cities in the book.
ATHENS: Athens is not merely a city; it is an enduring idea, shaped by countless thoughts and nourished by air, water, sunlight, and life. From earthy stone, it rises—a court of resilience that defies the ravages of time and darkness. This city revels in the light, drawing eternal vitality from it, crafting magnificent temples that withstand emptiness, barbarism, ugliness, and apathy alike, and finding purpose only in beauty. The wings of the Nike of Samothrace soar towards a distant light, a testament to origins predating earthly existence. Thus, Athens sends its brilliance into the void, cultivating earthly gardens of hope.
ROME: Rome stands as one of two eternal cities—the city of God and itself—offering glimpses of the sacred from the Capitol, sending prayers from the Palatine, and birthing new ideas on the Esquiline Hill. Miracles unfold on the Quirinal, where new deities are born on the Viminal Hill, while the Sun halts majestically over the Caelian Hill. The spirit of Rome’s squares journeys toward the Aventine, merging the divine and eternal cities. Rome, the city of all cities, radiates brilliance over land and sea. Its eternal essence transcends time, unphased by the deaths of emperors or the ruins of misguided history. This spirit outlasts empires, shining brightly despite barbarian incursions, which are mere moments in a cycle of rebirth. For the true essence of Rome cannot be destroyed—it is too profound to vanish within a mere century of strife.
CONSTANTINOPLE: Constantinople embodies the duality of alive and dead Byzantium—grand and deceptive. Emerging from fairy tales, it channels the dreams of Byzantium, just as Rome once did. It erects gates on two seas, safeguarding the Eastern and Western empires of a dreamed Europe, a blend of fairy tales and reality. Fed by the richness of the sea air, it preserves the secrets of lost cities, capturing the gaze of European and Turkish horsemen. Home to beauty and pride, this city brims with the seeds of grandeur and decline. Despite their ambitions, Constantine the Great and Justinian could not foresee the city’s fate—timeless and fragile, like the artistry of Hagia Sophia. Constantinople reflects Europe itself—a canvas of boundless opportunities and inherent dangers.
PARIS: As Hemingway aptly called it, Paris shines as the city of light. In Paris, creativity and inspiration flow; it embodies artistic brilliance and the heart of culture, a compelling testament to human expression and enduring beauty.
CITIES
The last sequence in the book, titled “Cities,” presents some of the most significant world urban identities, each city encapsulating distinct ideals and cultural significance throughout history. Here are the brief descriptions of some of the cities in the book.
ATHENS: Athens is not merely a city; it is an enduring idea, shaped by countless thoughts and nourished by air, water, sunlight, and life. From earthy stone, it rises—a court of resilience that defies the ravages of time and darkness. This city revels in the light, drawing eternal vitality from it, crafting magnificent temples that withstand emptiness, barbarism, ugliness, and apathy alike, and finding purpose only in beauty. The wings of the Nike of Samothrace soar towards a distant light, a testament to origins predating earthly existence. Thus, Athens sends its brilliance into the void, cultivating earthly gardens of hope.
ROME: Rome stands as one of two eternal cities—the city of God and itself—offering glimpses of the sacred from the Capitol, sending prayers from the Palatine, and birthing new ideas on the Esquiline Hill. Miracles unfold on the Quirinal, where new deities are born on the Viminal Hill, while the Sun halts majestically over the Caelian Hill. The spirit of Rome’s squares journeys toward the Aventine, merging the divine and eternal cities. Rome, the city of all cities, radiates brilliance over land and sea. Its eternal essence transcends time, unphased by the deaths of emperors or the ruins of misguided history. This spirit outlasts empires, shining brightly despite barbarian incursions, which are mere moments in a cycle of rebirth. For the true essence of Rome cannot be destroyed—it is too profound to vanish within a mere century of strife.
CONSTANTINOPLE: Constantinople embodies the duality of alive and dead Byzantium—grand and deceptive. Emerging from fairy tales, it channels the dreams of Byzantium, just as Rome once did. It erects gates on two seas, safeguarding the Eastern and Western empires of a dreamed Europe, a blend of fairy tales and reality. Fed by the richness of the sea air, it preserves the secrets of lost cities, capturing the gaze of European and Turkish horsemen. Home to beauty and pride, this city brims with the seeds of grandeur and decline. Despite their ambitions, Constantine the Great and Justinian could not foresee the city’s fate—timeless and fragile, like the artistry of Hagia Sophia. Constantinople reflects Europe itself—a canvas of boundless opportunities and inherent dangers.
PARIS: As Hemingway aptly called it, Paris shines as the city of light. In Paris, creativity and inspiration flow; it embodies artistic brilliance and the heart of culture, a compelling testament to human expression and enduring beauty.
- Published on
Shakespeare in Cosmos is the second part of Ozar, the first book in the pentalogy The World in Nowhereness. Shakespeare serves as the guiding light for the mystical traveler embarking on a journey to the enigmatic planet Zena, where they will encounter children possessing intelligence levels surpassing Earth's geniuses. The ruler of this extraordinary realm is a 10-year-old prodigy named Ozar, bearing the same name as the supreme God. Ozar holds countless mysteries of the Universe, safeguarded within a small, enigmatic box. The allure of this extraordinary encounter beckons, promising to unravel the secrets of the Cosmos and stargazing with Shakespeare in a mystical intergalactic theatre, unveiling the mysteries of the Universe through the Elizabethan wisdom of the Earthly playwright with a universal cosmic outlook. Shakespeare's timeless wisdom is a beacon for future cosmic travelers.