A Beautiful City

I have only been in London for a little short of a week and I am already in awe of this beautiful city. From seeing the Crown Jewels, Buckingham Palace, St. Paul's Cathedral, and many other amazing pieces of London, I am amazed at how one city can contain so much rich history and continue to keep its unique treasures preserved as well as being such a fast-moving and modernized city. Today, we visited Westminster Abbey. Of course my first thought before going was how awesome it was going to be to see where Prince William and Kate got married, and it was, but it was also fascinating to see how many inspirational and important figures in literature, science, religion and history were buried in such a special place. As we discussed Spenser's "A Theater for Worldlings," we talked about how in his writing he is trying to create a hazard from falling in love with something that is from this world. He discusses beautiful things that end up dying or crumbling. At the time Spenser wrote "A Theater for Worldlings," people in London had very rough lives and many of them believed, as well as Spenser, that they shouldn't put their faith in earthly things. I believe they were right to believe that they shouldn't put their faith in things produced from society, but it is also interesting to think about all of the beautiful things that were around them and that still remain today. Although they had rough lives, there are many pieces of this beautiful city that could have brought many of them joy. Spenser talked about how easily the ideas and objects that he discussed could crumble and disappear, which makes me think he would be amazed today at how London still remains full of preserved history, while also becoming more and more modernized every day. I found it very inspiring to see the memorial of a writer "whose divine spirit needs noe othir witnesse then the works which he left behind him" and to make a connection with his writing and with the many things I have seen and experienced on this trip so far.