Art Appreciation Summary and Analysis

Okakura relates the Taoist tale of the Taming of the Harp. There was once a great harp crafted from the finest tree in the land. Many tried to play it, but only discordant notes came from the harp; it could not be mastered. Finally a harp master named Pai Ya took the harp, and he sang of nature and beauty and war and many of life's aspects, and the music was powerful and beautiful. When asked how he mastered the harp, Pai Ya responded that he let the harp choose the music, and that he wasn't sure if he was playing the harp or the harp playing him. Okakura uses this tale to illustrate art appreciation. When the right stimulus (art) comes along, the "secret chords of our being" are awakened and we vibrate in harmony in response. Ultimately...