asymptote - noun - a line that approaches a curve but does not meet it.
It has been a long time since I have rubbed noses with Geometry, and frankly, I'm glad. If you read yesterday's entry, you already know that I have been indulging in Balzac's Pere Goriot. Apparently, Balzac did experience a tidbit of intimacy with Geometry. As an apprentice in a law office before turning to writing, Balzac had an interest in it at the beginning of the 19th century. At that time, the term itself was relatively new as it had been coined from the Greek asumptotos (meaning "not falling together") in the 17th century. Balzac's use of the word as part of a conceit on page 86 of the text is brilliant. Notice his use of anaphora for emphasis on his subject, the inchoate Eugene:
"Eugene resolved to dig two parallel trenches to lead him to success. He would concentrate simultaneously on learning and on love; he would become both a clever lawyer and a man of fashion. He was still a child, and did not know that these two lines are asymptotes, and can never meet."
Now you know why I hardly bother with any new releases in terms of fiction. Contemporary writing and "classic" prose to me are asymptotes, two lines rarely meeting.
In contrast, may the lines of success connect for you today and everyday!
Enjoy the weekend!
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