Project:
In Simonton’s (1989) examination of the last works of composers of classical music, he proposed a swan-song phenomenon in which composers approaching the end of their career create enduring pieces that embody key themes from the preceding decades of life. Although his results were challenged by later researchers, one could look at late works of composers, artists, writers, scientists, and so forth, as reflective of the life review process described by Erik Erikson in his final stage of ego integrity versus despair.
For this project, compare a last work and an earlier work of a creative individual in a field of your choice. This could include a well-known artist, writer, photographer, or scientist who produced a large body of work over the course of his or her adult life. Examples of subjects for this assignment include Georgia O’Keefe, Pablo Picasso, Diane Arbus, Ludwig von Beethoven, Sigmund Freud, Leonard Cohen. Some still-living creators with long, well-documented careers, such as Bob Dylan, would also work for this assignment. Begin with a brief biography of significant life events. Then, there are a number of questions to consider with respect to the “early” and “last” works of the person you select.
a. In what specific ways do these works differ from one another?
b.In what specific ways are these works similar to one another?
c.Is one of these works more famous than the other? If so why do you think it is better known?
d.Is there any evidence of life-review themes in the later work? If so, explain what these themes are.
e.If the artist/writer/scientist/etc. of the works you selected is no longer living, how long after the “last” work you selected was completed did he or she die?
f. How do ordinary individuals engage in a life-review process? Do they leave behind any evidence in the form of a “swan song?” Explain.
g. It is possible that the “swan song” phenomenon may also be seen in younger individuals as they engage in a review of some significant aspect of their lives, such as high school graduation, college graduation, marriage, or the end of a career as a professional athlete? Discuss this possibility and compare this sort of swan song with that seen in adults at the end of their lives.
