Wish you a happy holiday season and all the best for a healthy and happy 2025!
As a musing, I thought of these six timeless poems that potentially capture the arc of life. This holiday season, as I returned to these New England(ish) poets, I saw them trace such an arc—one that resonates with my own propensity.
We start with Rudyard Kipling’s If—. Full of vim and vigor, it’s a great way to begin the journey, urging us to be in the arena, as Rex might exhort! But even the most vigorous life needs moments of respite and rejuvenation. As Kipling’s arena calls us to action, Longfellow reminds us that we are not machines.
In The Day Is Done, Longfellow captures the tiredness of life’s demands, offering solace: “the night… filled with music… and the cares… silently steal away.”
While Kipling and Longfellow champion action and rest, in the middle of the arc, Auden warns us of a trap we might fall into along the way: conformity. In The Unknown Citizen, he asks, “Were we free? Were we happy?”—and calls such questions absurd in a life reduced to societal metrics.
As we approach the finish of the arc of the journey, Robert Frost questions whether our individuality truly makes a difference. In The Road Not Taken, he wonders if the story of our choices is more of a narrative we craft, in hindsight (with a sigh).
Where Frost reflects on choices, Whitman proposes a purpose: connection. In A Noiseless Patient Spider, he sees the soul casting its filament into the void, seeking meaningful bonds. Robert Waldinger, director of the Harvard Study on Adult Development, echoes this sentiment: the good life project tracing the lives of several students over many decades, concludes that it is about deep personal connections.
And yet, as we complete the arc, and even with the life extension aspirations of modern biotechnology, all things will end. In Because I Could Not Stop for Death, Emily Dickinson muses that, for all our vigor and connections, eternity awaits.
As I consider the overall arc traced by these six poems, I see my own preferences reflected in them: exploring patterns and connections beneath the surface, while leading an engaged life that balances reading, relationships, and recreation.
These poems continue to provide me a resonant arc of life.
7 comments:
Key questions to ponder over as we turn 60. What better way to do it than to begin with the insights & questions of deep and great thinkers ! Nicely written Surya !
Very nice. Thanks for sharing
Well connected arc indeed!
The poems capture the essence of human life beautifully with the subtle pervasiveness of individual preferences vs Societal values.
Thank you for this offering that weaves a wonderful winter blanket that reflects the wisdom of a life well lived. I wrap myself in this today and will share it with others as i rekindle the numerous fires burning at gathering places throughout my world. I am grateful to you my brother. -Skip
Excellent selection of poems and weaving the connections between them.
The poem Step Follows Step captures much of the spirit of the six poems in your “Arc” blog post, aligning closely with their themes while offering its own unique perspective. It reflects perseverance and effort, echoing Kipling’s call to embrace challenges with resilience. Lines like “The step taken is forward / Only if willed” align with the intentionality Kipling emphasizes. Its quieter, introspective tone resonates with Longfellow’s focus on balance and renewal, suggesting a reflective pause within life’s journey. Whitman’s yearning for connection and transcendence is mirrored in the final stanza: “Let the spirit pursue / Its goal of unity.” Like Whitman, the poem acknowledges the importance of aligning mind, body, and spirit. Additionally, the journey motif ties to Dickinson’s reflection on life as a path toward eternity, with the closing lines echoing her exploration of immortality.
The poem diverges from Auden’s critique of conformity by focusing more on the inner journey than societal pressures. It also doesn’t delve as deeply into the ambiguity of choices as Frost’s The Road Not Taken, emphasizing perseverance over the emotional weight of decision-making. Yet, this distinction makes Step Follows Step a complementary addition, highlighting internal strength and balance while celebrating the harmony of effort, reflection, and transcendence in life’s journey.
Step Follows Step
https://agingonthevine.blogspot.com/2003/09/poem-step-follows-step.html?m=1
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