In “Leda and the Swan”, William Butler Yeats addresses a story from Greek Mythology. Leda is the wife of King Tyndareus of Sparta. Zeus comes to her in a shape of a swan. The swan and Leda has a sexual intercourse. Most probably Zeus rapes Leda, as we can also see in the general atmosphere of the poem. Leda lays two eggs with two children in both of them. One of these children is Helen, which will be the famous Helen of Troy. One other was Clytemnestra, who is the wife of the Mycenean Commander Agamemnon, and the murderer of him.
The poem starts with an end of an action, there is “a sudden blow”, where the swan comes on to Leda and his “great wings beating still”. We start to observe the rape scene from the middle, where the swan is holding her body with his wings and her neck with his beak. The effect of this, is that it draws the reader, into the action and into the poem easily.
Throughout the poem, Leda described in concrete words and the swan in abstract terms with synecdochies mainly. Leda is described as "the staggering girl" and the poem mentions "her helpless breast”, "her nape", and "her loosening thighs". The swan is never called as Zeus or even “Swan” (actually, Agamemnon is the only name mentioned). The swan is described as "great wings", "dark webs", "white rush", "indifferent beak" and "feathered glory".
Although the “Leda and the Swan” myth -therefore the poem,- has many connections with the Trojan War. Helen is the main reason of the war, name of Agamemnon can be seen in the fourth stanza, and Clytemnestra, the wife of Agamemnon killed him after the Trojan War, because of jelaousy. Helen and Clytemnestra are Leda’s daughters, and Agamemnon was the Mycenean Commander.
The last line of the Fourth stanza is “And Agamemnon dead.”. Trojan War is accepted as an end of the Mythological Era and a start of the modern times, so we can infer that the rape ends at that line, like the war ended with Agamemnon’s death. Therefore, it may be a reference of “the loss of purity”, or an idea that “growth can only be achieved under force and hardships”.
To conclude, we can say that, "Leda and the Swan" is a violent poem and can be seen as Yeats's own perception to a mythological event. However the poem can also be widened to the whole time and than it can represent “women’s loss of purity against male domination”.
18.2.09
Imagery and Meaning in George Herbert’s “Virtue”
The poem, “Virtue” by George Herbert, mainly develops with the theme that the world and all living beings and unliving things are mortal, and everything in this world will eventually end or die. This theme is developed by three metaphors; first one is a “day”, second one is a “rose” and third one is the “spring”. All of these first three images are attractive things that people would want them to last forever and they are concrete images. Nevertheless in the last stanza, the reader can see an abstract image of “the soul” and by that image, the poem reaches a conclusion.
In the first stanza we see the image of the “day”; like all the metaphors used in the poem, first, it is shown some attractive traits of the image. Like it is sweet, cool, calm and bright, and in the second line it is said that the daylight is like the marriage of the earth and sky. Whenever the day turns into darkness, the morning dew mourns and cries with grief because the day must die. The dew here may also symbolize the youth, which is lost with the end of the life. There is a joy dominating the first two lines of the first stanza, whereas in the gloomy third line, the death theme can be seen. Also, while the periodic commas in the first line makes the line slower and longer to read, the constant “s” sound and repeated “so” words make an impression of perpetuation of the “day”, which will be wiped with the third and fourth lines.
The metaphorical image in the second stanza is the “rose”. The color of the rose is the color of anger, which is supposed to be red. It is also a brave and daring color, so it makes all people who are looking incautiously, wipe their eyes because it is bright and splendid. The rose is beaming with life, however as in the third line of the second stanza indicates, its roots are already in its own grave. That represents a natural bond between humankind and death, the eternal resting place for all men.
Third image is the spring which is the sum of the first two images. The spring has both sweet days and roses, it is the time of year which is compared with a box of compressed sweet. Its density of life and sweetness makes an impression of eternity again, as the first two metaphors, but spring has an end too. This “end” feeling is given with the word “close” which is the musical ending, or a final chord. Thus the spring and therefore life, compared with a musical piece or a song, that also will end eventually.
The last stanza is a bit different from others for it is not depicting an image or thing that will die or end. It shows the only thing that will survive; it is a virtuous and kind soul, only it would endure the eternal flames of the doomsday when the “world turn to coal”, the kind and virtuous soul would not turn into coal or dust, like an ember. It will glow with its faith and virtue. Thus only the soul can live rightfully and eternally which is the only thing that would not die.
To conclude, the poem “Virtue” emphasises on the loveliness of the world but also on the inevitability of death. Without making an argument, but using various kinds of imagery, the poem contrasts the mortal glories of the mortal world with the eternal glory of the immortal soul. Thereby it also contrasts the brief pleasures as day, rose or spring with the eternal pleasures of commitment to virtues.
In the first stanza we see the image of the “day”; like all the metaphors used in the poem, first, it is shown some attractive traits of the image. Like it is sweet, cool, calm and bright, and in the second line it is said that the daylight is like the marriage of the earth and sky. Whenever the day turns into darkness, the morning dew mourns and cries with grief because the day must die. The dew here may also symbolize the youth, which is lost with the end of the life. There is a joy dominating the first two lines of the first stanza, whereas in the gloomy third line, the death theme can be seen. Also, while the periodic commas in the first line makes the line slower and longer to read, the constant “s” sound and repeated “so” words make an impression of perpetuation of the “day”, which will be wiped with the third and fourth lines.
The metaphorical image in the second stanza is the “rose”. The color of the rose is the color of anger, which is supposed to be red. It is also a brave and daring color, so it makes all people who are looking incautiously, wipe their eyes because it is bright and splendid. The rose is beaming with life, however as in the third line of the second stanza indicates, its roots are already in its own grave. That represents a natural bond between humankind and death, the eternal resting place for all men.
Third image is the spring which is the sum of the first two images. The spring has both sweet days and roses, it is the time of year which is compared with a box of compressed sweet. Its density of life and sweetness makes an impression of eternity again, as the first two metaphors, but spring has an end too. This “end” feeling is given with the word “close” which is the musical ending, or a final chord. Thus the spring and therefore life, compared with a musical piece or a song, that also will end eventually.
The last stanza is a bit different from others for it is not depicting an image or thing that will die or end. It shows the only thing that will survive; it is a virtuous and kind soul, only it would endure the eternal flames of the doomsday when the “world turn to coal”, the kind and virtuous soul would not turn into coal or dust, like an ember. It will glow with its faith and virtue. Thus only the soul can live rightfully and eternally which is the only thing that would not die.
To conclude, the poem “Virtue” emphasises on the loveliness of the world but also on the inevitability of death. Without making an argument, but using various kinds of imagery, the poem contrasts the mortal glories of the mortal world with the eternal glory of the immortal soul. Thereby it also contrasts the brief pleasures as day, rose or spring with the eternal pleasures of commitment to virtues.
Imagery and Diction in Walt Whitman’s “A Noiseless Patient Spider”
Imagery is the most common literary technique in the poem, while most of the lines have a concrete image in it that helps the reader in seeing exactly what the poet intends them to see. The first example occurs on the first line; “A noiseless patient spider.” This visual image brings pictures of small, perfectly still, spiders sitting on their perfect webs for days at a time, completely unmoving, no sign of life at all. It is amazing all the thoughts those words can bring to mind. The image of the motionless spider, completely alone and isolated, as depicted in the first three lines of the poem introduces the idea that the speaker feels alone in the world. The image of the “vacant vast surrounding” also hints at the speaker’s doubt in the meaning of life. If the spider is the speaker’s soul, then the surroundings should be the rest of the universe, and if the rest of the universe is empty and there are no other souls or things for the filaments to connect to, then what is the purpose of “tirelessly speeding them” on?
Another image can be seen in second stanza, “surrounded, detached, in measureless oceans of space, ceaselessly musing, venturing, throwing, seeking the spheres to connect them,” is a clear reference between the spider's duty and the speaker's. Both the speaker and the spider seem incapable of finding anything else in the universe, or at least anything meaningful. However they both keep trying, either with optimistic hope or blindness. Also the speaker can be incapable of admit the idea that there could be nothing else in the universe besides himself, “the vacant vast surrounding” and is so optimistic or too incapable of that terrible realization to stop launching “forth filament, filament, filament, out of itself.”
The last two lines of the poem can be interpreted as supporting the idea that the speaker is habitually optimistic. One other interpretation can be disproving the idea that the speaker is alone in the universe; “till the bridge you will need be formed, till the ductile anchor hold, till the gossamer thread you fling catch somewhere, o my soul.” What ever interpretation the reader chooses to take from these lines, the images in “A Noiseless Patient Spider” holds great importance inside the poem.
The words that Whitman chooses to use in his poem often have secondary meanings. For example, at line four, “it launched forth filament, filament, filament, out of itself,” could be stated that the spider was making a web, but the words Whitman chooses to use carry more meaning. The idea of the spider “launching” filament supports the idea that there is a correlation between the spider and the speaker and symbolizes the speaker’s attempts to make connections in the universe. The words “out of itself” also support this idea, it leads the reader to think of the filaments as attempts by the speaker’s soul to find meaning, and since they are coming from deep inside the reader, they are coming “out of itself.”
To conclude, we can say the poem can be interpreted in two ways, one is the pessimistic, vast vacancy of life, and one is hopeful search of a place in a society. With its word choice and image usage it is an exceptional poem, and they help to build up the main message of the poem.
Another image can be seen in second stanza, “surrounded, detached, in measureless oceans of space, ceaselessly musing, venturing, throwing, seeking the spheres to connect them,” is a clear reference between the spider's duty and the speaker's. Both the speaker and the spider seem incapable of finding anything else in the universe, or at least anything meaningful. However they both keep trying, either with optimistic hope or blindness. Also the speaker can be incapable of admit the idea that there could be nothing else in the universe besides himself, “the vacant vast surrounding” and is so optimistic or too incapable of that terrible realization to stop launching “forth filament, filament, filament, out of itself.”
The last two lines of the poem can be interpreted as supporting the idea that the speaker is habitually optimistic. One other interpretation can be disproving the idea that the speaker is alone in the universe; “till the bridge you will need be formed, till the ductile anchor hold, till the gossamer thread you fling catch somewhere, o my soul.” What ever interpretation the reader chooses to take from these lines, the images in “A Noiseless Patient Spider” holds great importance inside the poem.
The words that Whitman chooses to use in his poem often have secondary meanings. For example, at line four, “it launched forth filament, filament, filament, out of itself,” could be stated that the spider was making a web, but the words Whitman chooses to use carry more meaning. The idea of the spider “launching” filament supports the idea that there is a correlation between the spider and the speaker and symbolizes the speaker’s attempts to make connections in the universe. The words “out of itself” also support this idea, it leads the reader to think of the filaments as attempts by the speaker’s soul to find meaning, and since they are coming from deep inside the reader, they are coming “out of itself.”
To conclude, we can say the poem can be interpreted in two ways, one is the pessimistic, vast vacancy of life, and one is hopeful search of a place in a society. With its word choice and image usage it is an exceptional poem, and they help to build up the main message of the poem.
“The Soul Selecets Her Own Society”: Walls
People built walls without knowing what are left behind. Sticking with only one life perspective is the reason to all these. You can select whoever you want to be with you, that is true but that surely means that you left somebody you would want in your life, outside.
Though, the walls are useful to protecting yourself. You would nor worry about getting harmed or disturbed. With your best friends and beloved ones near you. You would only listen to them as they are “your society”. You will take their advices, their beliefs are yours now also. But, what if you made a wrong choice to take them inside your walls? How would you cast them out now from these gateless ramparts?
Thus, I think walls should be built only for protecting self, not keeping all people outside or inside. Make a door to welcome some people in, if they are needed, and just get out of the door sometimes and look at your wall, at you from a distance.
Put some windows to your wall and see the sparkle of the differences of the world. That's how a home is built, that's how a castle is risen, that's how an empire expands.
Though, the walls are useful to protecting yourself. You would nor worry about getting harmed or disturbed. With your best friends and beloved ones near you. You would only listen to them as they are “your society”. You will take their advices, their beliefs are yours now also. But, what if you made a wrong choice to take them inside your walls? How would you cast them out now from these gateless ramparts?
Thus, I think walls should be built only for protecting self, not keeping all people outside or inside. Make a door to welcome some people in, if they are needed, and just get out of the door sometimes and look at your wall, at you from a distance.
Put some windows to your wall and see the sparkle of the differences of the world. That's how a home is built, that's how a castle is risen, that's how an empire expands.
“The Story of an Hour”: Roles
Throughout the ages women are being repressed by male dominated society. It is not just based on mere discriminative point of view in my opinion, it is also a gender role. Men would not (and do not) know what to do if the women would do the same things with themselves. Men should be the hero, the martyr, the suffered and the survived. These are the so called manly powers. In our day, most women have these powers and they are seen as the superior women in our society. The successful, knowledgable and dominant woman figure can be seen now.
However, while women figure changes, the feminine qualities are staying the same. Attending the household, taking care of kids, cooking, cleaning, keeping the family together, still burdens to the modern women. These are the basic woman qualities, but if a man has them, unlike the vice-versa, is not appreciated enough. The gentleness make the man “unmanly”. I think there is still a discrimination, whether it is positive or negative, manly qualities are being praised, while womanly qualities are staying the same level.
In my opinion, Turkey has the most concrete family life within keeping these traits to the respective gender. That is not a good thing obviously, but we are not that different from the Mallard’s.
However, while women figure changes, the feminine qualities are staying the same. Attending the household, taking care of kids, cooking, cleaning, keeping the family together, still burdens to the modern women. These are the basic woman qualities, but if a man has them, unlike the vice-versa, is not appreciated enough. The gentleness make the man “unmanly”. I think there is still a discrimination, whether it is positive or negative, manly qualities are being praised, while womanly qualities are staying the same level.
In my opinion, Turkey has the most concrete family life within keeping these traits to the respective gender. That is not a good thing obviously, but we are not that different from the Mallard’s.
“Young Goodman Brown”: Purity and Zealotry
The Puritan America was beyond odds as a nation at the point it was established. It was an impressive thing that every other exile melted to a new nationality. However the puritan protestanism as a religious group had tremendous effects on the American people. These people were known with their zealotry actually, ther were devoutly bounded to their prayers and they wanted to purify the animal side inside every person.
A question that comes into my mind is, do people deserve a purifying, only for they are not from someone’s belief. It is just an extremist thought and that is what should be purified. People need to live their own beliefs freely and without boundaries.
As we can see in the story, the extreme good turns into the most evil. The prayes and the zealous sermons became dark rituals and demonic speech. This can represent the thin line between devoutness and wickedness in my opinion
The religion is open to many comments, but one thing is, as we see from the contemporary situation, if the religion is misused by some power focuses, it can create masses that are ready to fight, kill and die, in the name of God, Allah and Jehovah.
A question that comes into my mind is, do people deserve a purifying, only for they are not from someone’s belief. It is just an extremist thought and that is what should be purified. People need to live their own beliefs freely and without boundaries.
As we can see in the story, the extreme good turns into the most evil. The prayes and the zealous sermons became dark rituals and demonic speech. This can represent the thin line between devoutness and wickedness in my opinion
The religion is open to many comments, but one thing is, as we see from the contemporary situation, if the religion is misused by some power focuses, it can create masses that are ready to fight, kill and die, in the name of God, Allah and Jehovah.
“The Secret Life of Walter Mitty”: Despisal
Walter Mitty escapes from his tedious life by entering a world where he is almighty enough to do anything. His wife, a policeman, parking lot attendant and a woman on street treated him badly in a really short day. So what happens if despisal becomes the main element of someones life?
First, a person who is successful in anything at all, would not take depreciation easily. Only a man who has given up all hope from his future would tolerate such a thing. So we can say denial of despisal begins inside the individual's mind. Success is important for self confidence, but being loved is essential too. Also we can see from the story, Mitty have not got any decent loving relationship with anyone. Love of mother is not a thing that helps us to grow to a individual person. That love is protecting you form harm, does not trust you in tough decisions and also when the lover is not your mother, it is clearly despising.
Escaping from despisal is not easy. It is a thing that the people around you learn quickly and hardly forget. But it can be a process, and you can wait for it to happen. While doing this, I do not think it is a good thing to close yourself to reality and build a new one, but to put effort in every step to gain acceptance. Because human is not created to be isolated, it should live with others to fulfill its needs.
I would like to quote form Cervantes at this point; “One man scorned and covered with scars still strove with his last ounce of courage to reach the unreachable stars; and the world will be better for this.”
First, a person who is successful in anything at all, would not take depreciation easily. Only a man who has given up all hope from his future would tolerate such a thing. So we can say denial of despisal begins inside the individual's mind. Success is important for self confidence, but being loved is essential too. Also we can see from the story, Mitty have not got any decent loving relationship with anyone. Love of mother is not a thing that helps us to grow to a individual person. That love is protecting you form harm, does not trust you in tough decisions and also when the lover is not your mother, it is clearly despising.
Escaping from despisal is not easy. It is a thing that the people around you learn quickly and hardly forget. But it can be a process, and you can wait for it to happen. While doing this, I do not think it is a good thing to close yourself to reality and build a new one, but to put effort in every step to gain acceptance. Because human is not created to be isolated, it should live with others to fulfill its needs.
I would like to quote form Cervantes at this point; “One man scorned and covered with scars still strove with his last ounce of courage to reach the unreachable stars; and the world will be better for this.”
"The Man He Killed": War
Wars are the past, future and contemporary reality of the world history. Every country today, every society’s ancestors were in war to gain some rights, land, or just glory. The warriors and soldiers are praised in all cultures throughout the world. That’s why the wars seem as a rightful cause to all. It is a heroic deed, it is manly and justified.
Nevertheless everybody misses one point in wars. People die in the battlefield. People suffer and somebody loses a husband, father, son. The other side of the war has also rightful causes to fight, and they just clash in the flames of battle, they hate each other beforehand. Maybe they do not know anything about each other, but the “others” becomes the “enemy”.
Countries make wars and regular people die, nameless martyrs created, legends created and with every death, the hatred between two sides grows. The density of this hatred is determined by the blood they shed. What I wonder is, if there would be somebody who come and tell that they are both rightful and they should make an agreement and not fight, would they believe?
No. Whether it is for resources, or for land, or glory, or freedom, all these benefits and sublime things will be built on the corpses of “the unlucky”. And luck is the only force to save “the lucky”, but only for a while.
Nevertheless everybody misses one point in wars. People die in the battlefield. People suffer and somebody loses a husband, father, son. The other side of the war has also rightful causes to fight, and they just clash in the flames of battle, they hate each other beforehand. Maybe they do not know anything about each other, but the “others” becomes the “enemy”.
Countries make wars and regular people die, nameless martyrs created, legends created and with every death, the hatred between two sides grows. The density of this hatred is determined by the blood they shed. What I wonder is, if there would be somebody who come and tell that they are both rightful and they should make an agreement and not fight, would they believe?
No. Whether it is for resources, or for land, or glory, or freedom, all these benefits and sublime things will be built on the corpses of “the unlucky”. And luck is the only force to save “the lucky”, but only for a while.
“The Chaser”: Innocence and Experiments of Love
Innocence was an essential emotion in the story. Alan’s pure belief in true love made me think about the naiveness of love. I asked myself such questions as, “does love blind people?”, “does belief in love go to vain with age?”
Firstly, love challenges people with the loss of innocence. Whenever a love get response, it begins to fade in time. Love alters into addiction, obsession and maybe fear; fear to lose the beloved one (the one obsessed with in this case). These unhealthy feelings may recover in sometime, but it requires self-respect and self-realization. If those qualities wouldn’t ocur, people who “was” in love become the most cruel person ever lived. The love you’re enduring is a burden now, you hate the person, who you wanted the most only sometime ago.
Nonetheless love gives people courage too. An hopeless love can open the doors to you just like the doors Alan opened. But those doors lead dark ways and I think no good can come with haste. But I learnt these by experience. So what can an inexperienced lover do? Nothing but making mistakes! Love blinds the lovers and the “responded love” enlightens their sight again.
The old man in The Chaser also can act as an antagonist where the main character is “innocence”. His disbelief to all human qualities and emotions made me ask that, “can only aging make a person like this?” Well I don’t think so. I think his cynic view of life based on harsh and maybe dark things he lived through in his youth. Thus only a human being could be that emotionless. So, in my opinion, belief in love vains not with age but with false experience. A loving family, healthy social enviroment and a faithful relationship can provide a lifetime of optimisim about love and other feelings.
To conclude, I imagine two person standing at the farthest edges from themselves one has corrupted with false experience and one has cursed with false innocence.
Firstly, love challenges people with the loss of innocence. Whenever a love get response, it begins to fade in time. Love alters into addiction, obsession and maybe fear; fear to lose the beloved one (the one obsessed with in this case). These unhealthy feelings may recover in sometime, but it requires self-respect and self-realization. If those qualities wouldn’t ocur, people who “was” in love become the most cruel person ever lived. The love you’re enduring is a burden now, you hate the person, who you wanted the most only sometime ago.
Nonetheless love gives people courage too. An hopeless love can open the doors to you just like the doors Alan opened. But those doors lead dark ways and I think no good can come with haste. But I learnt these by experience. So what can an inexperienced lover do? Nothing but making mistakes! Love blinds the lovers and the “responded love” enlightens their sight again.
The old man in The Chaser also can act as an antagonist where the main character is “innocence”. His disbelief to all human qualities and emotions made me ask that, “can only aging make a person like this?” Well I don’t think so. I think his cynic view of life based on harsh and maybe dark things he lived through in his youth. Thus only a human being could be that emotionless. So, in my opinion, belief in love vains not with age but with false experience. A loving family, healthy social enviroment and a faithful relationship can provide a lifetime of optimisim about love and other feelings.
To conclude, I imagine two person standing at the farthest edges from themselves one has corrupted with false experience and one has cursed with false innocence.
“Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening”: Death as an Escape
Death is the inevitable. People like me afraid of being dead actually, but when we face it we just welcome them. I had a traffic accident three years ago, and all my thoughts were about “finally I'm out of this life” while the car is sliding to another one. All people would grow weary with the life, all of us wants a salvation, whether it is a solution of all our matters, or it is death.
However choosing death willingly is a crime against humanity. Everybody hurts sometimes and everybody may want to take their own lives to escape. But this is a matter of this earth. What place you can live when you leave this world? If you are a religious person, you would probably endure eternal agony, if you are not, well, congratulations, you just missed the rest of your life!
When we read the poem though, we can get another idea of escape. Just by taking it literally, we can leave our all belongings and beloved and go away. This will delete all our worries and weariness, but bring new ones.
The gods placed this pile of soil inside a sphere of problems, every time it turns, you just face a new problem. You can choose to die of course, but only ship you will take is going to be black one, and that one goes nowhere.
However choosing death willingly is a crime against humanity. Everybody hurts sometimes and everybody may want to take their own lives to escape. But this is a matter of this earth. What place you can live when you leave this world? If you are a religious person, you would probably endure eternal agony, if you are not, well, congratulations, you just missed the rest of your life!
When we read the poem though, we can get another idea of escape. Just by taking it literally, we can leave our all belongings and beloved and go away. This will delete all our worries and weariness, but bring new ones.
The gods placed this pile of soil inside a sphere of problems, every time it turns, you just face a new problem. You can choose to die of course, but only ship you will take is going to be black one, and that one goes nowhere.
“Richard Cory”: Mediocracy
Richard Cory is a representative of extraordinariness in a society. All of his traits are honorable and noble, he is a good man, kind and caring. Also he is down to earth, not a snob with his wealth. He is morally, economically and physically ideal man.
We have this kind of people in our society too. We also admire them, appreciate them and talk about them like idols. However, maybe the evilness in all of us, wants these good and successful people to fail, maybe just to see them as human, like us. It may be simply jealousy, for we know we cannot achieve some of these people's qualities. But I think the main reason is mediocracy.
Every person wants to be the lead figure in the society, whatever his traits and qualities are, he just wants to be on top. Almost everytime, the leader of a society tends to be just a regular but influential man. While this man does not want others to overthrow him, he simply thinks, “if all the people will be like me, I may be the one to lead them” and that makes the society mediocre in generations.
The real unique and valuable people are labeled as narcissist or arrogant. Every quality seems like a tool of their boasting speeches.
Thus these people left alone, abandoned in a mediocre society, with their goodness and their royal hearts broken.
We have this kind of people in our society too. We also admire them, appreciate them and talk about them like idols. However, maybe the evilness in all of us, wants these good and successful people to fail, maybe just to see them as human, like us. It may be simply jealousy, for we know we cannot achieve some of these people's qualities. But I think the main reason is mediocracy.
Every person wants to be the lead figure in the society, whatever his traits and qualities are, he just wants to be on top. Almost everytime, the leader of a society tends to be just a regular but influential man. While this man does not want others to overthrow him, he simply thinks, “if all the people will be like me, I may be the one to lead them” and that makes the society mediocre in generations.
The real unique and valuable people are labeled as narcissist or arrogant. Every quality seems like a tool of their boasting speeches.
Thus these people left alone, abandoned in a mediocre society, with their goodness and their royal hearts broken.
“Penelope”: Role of a Woman
Penelope waits in her cage, for her husband to come from his heroic journey. She rejects dozens of people who wanted to marry her. Every time she keeps her suitors at bay, she prays to Artemis to take her life. She is a symbol of fidelity, loyalty, and the woman that needs to be. Or is she?
According to all mythologies, woman are the life givers to the earth, they are the mother goddesses, symbols of fertility, household and family. These qualities may seem good now, but they are just degrading woman to something lays an egg, and watches after it.
All the religions however, has a masculine god, and they suggest the women as just “a companion to men”. Degrading women with religion is easy, just put them in a home where they are familiar already with the pagan beliefs. With religious books, they lost their holiness first, than the identity. Woman have no name no more.
It may change in time, but as long as one “holy book” says that a woman is made from a spine of the almighty man, another one shows virginity of the “mother” of god is a virtue to keep, another just destroyed the only anarchist woman, Lilith; nobody would give women the same rights with men in this “religious” world.
According to all mythologies, woman are the life givers to the earth, they are the mother goddesses, symbols of fertility, household and family. These qualities may seem good now, but they are just degrading woman to something lays an egg, and watches after it.
All the religions however, has a masculine god, and they suggest the women as just “a companion to men”. Degrading women with religion is easy, just put them in a home where they are familiar already with the pagan beliefs. With religious books, they lost their holiness first, than the identity. Woman have no name no more.
It may change in time, but as long as one “holy book” says that a woman is made from a spine of the almighty man, another one shows virginity of the “mother” of god is a virtue to keep, another just destroyed the only anarchist woman, Lilith; nobody would give women the same rights with men in this “religious” world.
“Next, Please”: Dreams and Hopes
We always want our dreams to come true. The poem is criticizing this expectancy as showing it as useless. Well, I do not think it is useless. How can a man survive without dreaming? Dreams are the base of our life, we built our life upon our dreams, they lead us through dark ways. And say; who can punish someone for dreaming?
For me, if a man is aware of his thoughts are dreams only there is no problem. But hopes on the other hand, is another issue. If we keep on hoping the same thing for years, that is where the problem begins. Long term hopes should be replaced by dreams, not obsession. Thus only a person would get on with his life.
Yes, life is rational, there probably is not an armada coming towards us, but if you dream that they will come, there is no harm, your disappointment is not that big that you “live with the fact” that they will come someday. Our dreams are fragile too, they can be broken and left nothing but an empty shell of daily matters, no joy or expectancy, just living the day is not the intended life for human in my opinion.
We have to make an agreement with our minds. Our hopes should be short termed, bu they can stay as dreams forever! If they do not, I pity that humanbeing, waiting for night to come to sleep and morning to wake. A man with dreams can sleep at midday and wake whenever he wants.
For me, if a man is aware of his thoughts are dreams only there is no problem. But hopes on the other hand, is another issue. If we keep on hoping the same thing for years, that is where the problem begins. Long term hopes should be replaced by dreams, not obsession. Thus only a person would get on with his life.
Yes, life is rational, there probably is not an armada coming towards us, but if you dream that they will come, there is no harm, your disappointment is not that big that you “live with the fact” that they will come someday. Our dreams are fragile too, they can be broken and left nothing but an empty shell of daily matters, no joy or expectancy, just living the day is not the intended life for human in my opinion.
We have to make an agreement with our minds. Our hopes should be short termed, bu they can stay as dreams forever! If they do not, I pity that humanbeing, waiting for night to come to sleep and morning to wake. A man with dreams can sleep at midday and wake whenever he wants.
“Let Me Not to the Marriage of True Minds”: True Love
What human changes into when he falls in love? What is the boundary that is holding his soul and body to the end of time? What is “the love” anyway?
Shakespeare was an utopian in my opinion, or just not rational. Who can deny the love is the change itself! How can one say the true love does not change! Love alters us into somebody, the one we are not familiar with, without a signal, without a word. All of our beloved's expressions, the things that she has lived through, the things we endure together is another, another and another altering itself. Love changes with time, love starts as a passionate tango, and than caring steps of valse, only than a slow and commited hug with slow swings.
Love is not a regular thing. Maybe the action of “falling in love” is the same towards different beings. However, I think falling in love means nothing to a person, as long as it is supported with the true love itself. The passion may change, lives may change but true love holds them together with changing itself to compensate the flaws. Love is something to rely on, something to trust, but not a concrete thing to build castles on.
Although it is a pessimistic thought, love will alter to emptiness with time. People who are not growing together will consume each others soul, as they own it. They do not know that the soul of a lover, just have been given them to keep for some time.
Shakespeare was an utopian in my opinion, or just not rational. Who can deny the love is the change itself! How can one say the true love does not change! Love alters us into somebody, the one we are not familiar with, without a signal, without a word. All of our beloved's expressions, the things that she has lived through, the things we endure together is another, another and another altering itself. Love changes with time, love starts as a passionate tango, and than caring steps of valse, only than a slow and commited hug with slow swings.
Love is not a regular thing. Maybe the action of “falling in love” is the same towards different beings. However, I think falling in love means nothing to a person, as long as it is supported with the true love itself. The passion may change, lives may change but true love holds them together with changing itself to compensate the flaws. Love is something to rely on, something to trust, but not a concrete thing to build castles on.
Although it is a pessimistic thought, love will alter to emptiness with time. People who are not growing together will consume each others soul, as they own it. They do not know that the soul of a lover, just have been given them to keep for some time.
“Because I Could Not Stop for Death”: Boundaries of Life
People are so busy with living. We do not see the grave situation, that we are going to die within a very short time to earth’s perspective. We cannot live our life to the end also, because we are taking our life as granted. We do not enjoy its possibilities. That is the main problem in a human’s life in my opinion. Also we are living it blindfolded to our environment. There are billions of people in the world and all lives are connected with each other. We do not have the priviledge to ignore these tight connections.
For example a child is grown in an intense environment, he is affected by many things, his friends, teachers, the fights between his parents. When he finally grew up to be a grown man, he would do the same things as he saw in his childhood. That is prototyping human society in a sense. We eventually do not care what will happen in the future, because we are living it according to scheme, unchangable but seems to be changing, monotonous but seems as thrilling.
Fooling ourselves with words is easy. But is that the living really? Death will come eventually and take us as in the poem, and we will just realize what we missed throughout our empty lifes. We should do whatever we want, as Montaigne says, “Do things because you wish for, not because you need to”.
For example a child is grown in an intense environment, he is affected by many things, his friends, teachers, the fights between his parents. When he finally grew up to be a grown man, he would do the same things as he saw in his childhood. That is prototyping human society in a sense. We eventually do not care what will happen in the future, because we are living it according to scheme, unchangable but seems to be changing, monotonous but seems as thrilling.
Fooling ourselves with words is easy. But is that the living really? Death will come eventually and take us as in the poem, and we will just realize what we missed throughout our empty lifes. We should do whatever we want, as Montaigne says, “Do things because you wish for, not because you need to”.
17.2.09
"A Worn Path": Altruism or Implicit Selfishness
Altruism takes an important place in the story. Phoenix' courage and will to keep on going is only for her beloved grandson. They're literally the only people for each other. This is where altruism takes its role. Are we showing generosity only to our beloved ones? Is that the right thing to do?
First of all, I think people meant to be alone in the life journey on the long run. People come and go, they affect your life somehow. Although when you are bound to someone for the rest of your life, or dependent to someone, you begin to make sacrifice without thinking. It makes a routine of sacrifices, and more you do it, the more it normalizes itself. In my opinion, addiction or “boundaries” can be demanding at this point.
I think when our self-sacrifice becomes an obligation, it also becomes a kind of “Achille's Heel.” We are not aware of that weakness, but it puts us in danger with the probability of getting hurt. After I thought these, I asked myself “can a man make sacrifices for a person who he does not know at all?” Philosophers have long been arguing about this aspect of human nature. Are we just self-interested animals? When we show generosity to people there is a possibility that our acts are driven by implicit self-interest. I am asking myself, for instance, when I love somebody, do I expect her to love me back? My answer is generally yes; Imagine a person you love deeply. It can be a special friend or a member of your family. You sacrifice your time, for example, to be with that person but if that is not reciprocated then you feel that you have been let down. This feeling is actually the hint of self-interest in the act of self-sacrificing. In this sense it can easily be argued that even love is a self-interested feeling.
On the conclusion, I see the unconditional love nothing more than an illusion. In general, mother-child relationship is interpreted as the only instance of unconditional love existing in the world, but one can still claim that mother-child relationship has the element of selfishness in a sense that mother carries the baby for nine months, and basically it is a biological part of her. As in the story; the boy needs Phoenix to live, but also Phoenix needs him to have a “reason” to live.
First of all, I think people meant to be alone in the life journey on the long run. People come and go, they affect your life somehow. Although when you are bound to someone for the rest of your life, or dependent to someone, you begin to make sacrifice without thinking. It makes a routine of sacrifices, and more you do it, the more it normalizes itself. In my opinion, addiction or “boundaries” can be demanding at this point.
I think when our self-sacrifice becomes an obligation, it also becomes a kind of “Achille's Heel.” We are not aware of that weakness, but it puts us in danger with the probability of getting hurt. After I thought these, I asked myself “can a man make sacrifices for a person who he does not know at all?” Philosophers have long been arguing about this aspect of human nature. Are we just self-interested animals? When we show generosity to people there is a possibility that our acts are driven by implicit self-interest. I am asking myself, for instance, when I love somebody, do I expect her to love me back? My answer is generally yes; Imagine a person you love deeply. It can be a special friend or a member of your family. You sacrifice your time, for example, to be with that person but if that is not reciprocated then you feel that you have been let down. This feeling is actually the hint of self-interest in the act of self-sacrificing. In this sense it can easily be argued that even love is a self-interested feeling.
On the conclusion, I see the unconditional love nothing more than an illusion. In general, mother-child relationship is interpreted as the only instance of unconditional love existing in the world, but one can still claim that mother-child relationship has the element of selfishness in a sense that mother carries the baby for nine months, and basically it is a biological part of her. As in the story; the boy needs Phoenix to live, but also Phoenix needs him to have a “reason” to live.
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