Utility and Beauty

“Poetry is a fresh morning spider web telling a story of moonlit hours of weaving and waiting during a night.”

Carl Sandburg

Spider Web at the Horicon Marsh

“The difference between utility and utility plus beauty is the difference between telephone wires and the spider web.”

Edwin Way Teale

Spider Web at the Horicon Marsh

 

“Just imagine the banner headlines if a marine biologist were to discover a species of dolphin that wove large,

intricately meshed fishing nets, twenty dolphin-lengths in diameter! 

Yet we take a spider web for granted, as a nuisance in the house rather than as one of the wonders of the world.”

Richard Dawkins

Spider Web at the Horicon Marsh

“Do you understand how there could be any writing in a spider’s web?”

“Oh, no,” said Dr. Dorian.  “I don’t understand it.  But for that matter I don’t understand how a spider learned to spin a web in the first place.  When the words appeared, everyone said they were a miracle.  But nobody pointed out that the web itself is a miracle.”

“What’s miraculous about a spider’s web?” said Mrs. Arable.  “I don’t see why you say a web is a miracle–it’s just a web.”

“Ever try to spin one?” asked Dr. Dorian.

E. B. White, Charlotte’s Web

Spider Web at the Horicon Marsh

2 Comments

  1. Reply
    Jerry October 21, 2016

    Those are beautiful spider webs, Lisa. Terrific photography!

    • Reply
      Lisa October 23, 2016

      Thanks, Jerry! I appreciate your encouraging feedback!

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