Quite often, yes it does. At least that is the impression I've gathered from various sources over the years, as well as my own personal impressions and observations....

In his article, Grady Towers cites the evidence of increasing Concept Mastery test scores' (a high-level test of verbal ability given by Stanford professor Lewis Terman to his longitudinal study group, informally known as the "Termites", to assess their adult levels of intelligence) correlating with greater percentages of emotional maladjustment. Fully forty-five percent of the men who scored at 175 or better on the test (ceiling = 190) showed signs of significant emotional disorders.

My theory to account for at least part of the phenomenon is that verbal precocity makes one stand out among one's peers much earlier than mathematical/scientific precocity. The moment one opens one's mouth, one opens the door to mistreatment. Math/science prodigies usually take somewhat longer to ferret out for abuse.

I would add that it is hardly a phenomenon that is restricted to our era. Any biography of Shelley, for instance, paints a vivid picture of his miseries at school. Beddoes would have had just as wretched a time of it, I suspect, but for his preemptive strikes, by being an organizer of pranks and mischief that no doubt endeared him to his schoolfellows, and let them ignore all his prizes for Latin.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 18 Apr 12 | 03:12PM by Absquatch.

Absquatch Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Not to hijack the thread, but the turn this topic
> has taken calls to mind CAS's own breakdown during
> his youth, about which little seems to be
> known--to the general public, at least.
>
> It also reminds me of the observation in Grady M.
> Towers' excellent article "The Outsiders"--an
> article in which many here will recognize
> themselves, I suspect--that high verbal
> intelligence unfortunately also seems to correlate
> with emotional maladjustment.
My opinion on this matter is that high verbal intelligence (typos notwithstanding), correlates more with the capacity to have so wide and profound a view of reality, that one ends up with a far larger component of matters to adjust to emotionally, resulting in occasional over-lapping and lag, which might seem like maladjustment, and, unresolved or interfered with by "professionals" may become interrupted by this "tinkering" with the brain, resulting in permanently unresolved issues-- unseen and unrecognized by those of lesser gifts.

Aloha all,
My favorite dark poem would have to be Robert E. Howard's "Recompense". If it is permissible to post external web links here:
[wonderingminstrels.blogspot.com]

Sandor Szabo

Calonlan,

Points well taken, to be sure. I do highly recommend Grady Towers' "Outsiders" article (linked here and on the previous page) for an interesting analysis of the phenomenon from a different perspective.

I love the poem "THE DARK HOUR" by W.H. Davies too. My favorite passage is:

I know not where this state comes from --
No cause for grief I know;
The Earth around is fresh and green,
Flowers near me grow.

I think I like the passage because I love flowers and due to this I often order online flowers uk because I love the scent of fresh flowers in my flat.

I have to say that is some sophisticated spamming there.

MesMorial Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Well I read your "Decapitated Kiss", and it was
> well executed ((no) pun). It was creative with
> nice rhymes, images and flow.
>
>
> I like the message in the lyrics you posted.
>
> Another lyrical poem I like is this:
>
>
>
> "THE DARK HOUR"
>
> by W.H. Davies
>
>
> "And now, when merry winds do blow,
> And rain makes trees look fresh,
> An overpowering staleness holds
> This mortal flesh.
>
> Though well I love to feel the rain,
> And be by winds well blown --
> The mystery of mortal life
> Doth press me down.
>
> And, In this mood, come now what will,
> Shine Rainbow, Cuckoo call;
> There is no thing in Heaven or Earth
> Can lift my soul.
>
> I know not where this state comes from --
> No cause for grief I know;
> The Earth around is fresh and green,
> Flowers near me grow.
>
> I sit between two fair rose trees;
> Red roses on my right,
> And on my left side roses are
> A lovely white.
>
> The little birds are full of joy,
> Lambs bleating all the day;
> The colt runs after the old mare,
> And children play.
>
> And still there comes this dark, dark hour --
> Which is not borne of Care;
> Into my heart it creeps before
> I am aware."

I love Davies' Poem 'The Dark Hour' - it is touching and yet has a very strange shadow on it, what I quite enjoy.

'I know not where this state comes from --
No cause for grief I know;
The Earth around is fresh and green,
Flowers near me grow.'

My favorite paragraph - I love the way he shows life in the Earth beneath us and the uk flowers by post that grow around us. Unconditionally. It has a very fragile character for everything vanishes one day (Flowers in Winter, for example) but still there is a lot of life in them and they manage to come back eventually. So no matter how dark our darkest hour might be and how long it lasts, we always have a chance of coming back.