Beauty, Poetry, and Music

Since the dawn of time, beauty has been a subject of contemplation. Socrates, and before him Pythagoras, connected beauty with ethics. For them, what is morally good must also be beautiful, suggesting that true beauty resides not in appearance, but in the essence of goodness itself.

Kant adds a rich dimension to this age-old conversation by distinguishing between two kinds of beauty: free and dependent. Dependent beauty is tied to external pleasures: an expensive painting that flatters your sense of ownership, a fine wine that tastes better in the presence of connoisseurs, a piece of cake whose allure grows with its exotic origin, or even the rising value of your financial portfolio. The beauty of such experiences rests not in the objects themselves, but in the gratification they provide.

Free beauty, by contrast, is pure; untethered to utility, status, or any pleasure beyond the moment of encounter. It simply is. And perhaps, in seeking this free beauty, we discover a path to deeper and more enduring happiness.

Imagine, for instance, a Monet painting you can never afford, or a fleeting moment of human kindness captured in a social media video that has nothing to do with you. Both evoke the same response: “beautiful,” we say. This is the realm of free beauty. Scientific studies suggest a strong link between kindness and happiness, and perhaps our inner turmoil arises when we stray from kindness, failing to see the beauty in it.

In this way, Kant and Socrates converge: beauty, in its highest form, is inseparable from goodness.

We find similar free beauty in poetry and music. Some individuals in these arts radiate beauty not merely in their craft, but in the awe they inspire. When something fills us with awe and uplifts us, it is beautiful. Kant’s wisdom reminds us to embrace this awe.

Consider poets and musicians: Elvis Presley singing In the Ghetto, Suresh Wadkar’s Sanjh Dhale, or Baba Nagarjun’s raw verses in Badal ko ghirte dekha hai. These artists, in their essence, are beautiful because they stir something deep within us. Their beauty transcends the material; it lingers in the soul.

Heraclitus taught that time is ever in flux, that nothing remains the same. Our perception of beauty shifts as time flows, yet echoes of past beauty still reverberate within us. Sometimes, it is through music, poetry, or even a nostalgic melody that we reclaim those moments of free beauty.

So, as I sit tonight, once again immersed in the timeless songs of Khayyam Sahab, I realize that true beauty transcends change. His music, deep and soulful, is a window to the eternal; where beauty is free, not bound by the fleeting pursuits of life. In these moments, we find joy, acceptance, and peace. And that, in itself, is beautiful.