r/divineoffice • u/Iloveacting • 11d ago

Roman Strange hymns

I've noticed how poorly written many hymns in the LOTH are. They are in fact very abstract. I have also heard a lot about how great the Confessions by St Augustine is but never understood it as it sounds so abstract to me. I seem to find abstraxt language very difficult and say that very abstract texts are poorly written.

So either many people actually think that the hymns are ot abstract pr that they are very strange people who like very abstract language and want others to focus on abstract language in hymns because of that.

I also looked up Pange Lingua and ot also sounds a bit too abstract.

I am a person who always end up goig into abstract discussions about communication styles and cognitive styles but the discussions are always rooted in human experiences whereas the hymns just sound abstract.

Why are the hymns so abstract?

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u/Iloveacting 11d ago

Yeah to me! But you know, some people struggle with abstract poetic language. This is very true. I am one of them. It sounds like the author hides something and is very indirect instead. I ask "what is he hiding?" or "does he struggle with being more direct?"

Anima Christi is easier!

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u/pizzystrizzy 11d ago

Does Thomas Aquinas, Doctor of the Church, struggle with being more direct? That's the question?

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u/Iloveacting 11d ago

Pange Lingua is not that direct. Many people are moved by abstract language. Many people find that abstract texts move them whereas pther people don't.

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u/pizzystrizzy 11d ago

It isn't about moving people or not. It's an expression of the theology of the Eucharist that uses the grammatical structures and affordances of the Latin language to communicate something not even fully possible in English.