Caution : Highly Motivational
As a young man, was as busy as everyone else who were impacted by glamour of modern life. From career to persuit of happiness, he had seen them all growing among them with his own personal failing and success. Amidst all this, he found his very special interest - Writing. Despite being an attorney, he also had to be part of himself to note down all that he went through while he was busy in his manufacturing business.
In the materialistic society of America, he burned midnight oil to dedicate himself to some thoughts which later becmae some of the most inspiring lines in the history of modern American literature.
There comes a time, finally, at forty when he decided to permenantly bid adieu to worldly curriers. Here onwaeds he sacrificed all his life writing his mond out. It was never a huge success instantly for Max Ehrmann. Rather it took years to get his writings to some serious study and understanding.
His most noted work, "The Desiderata" was written in 1927. However, it is interesting to note how this poem went unnoticed note until his death when quite accidently this poem came to be part of a speach which later found appreciation among the audiance. Then it hardly a matter of time when poem became a huge hit among the lovers of poetry. It is recorded that the poem has been published in numerous magazines and books. Moreover it has also been translated into several languages of the world. Even warners brother, in 1971 , released a record to make it one of the most upheeling lyrics in human history.
"The Desiderata", is a term meanig "Things Desire". The critics have called it didactic in form and spiritual in nature. Every line of the poem is unequal eight stanzas in full of depth impling the understanding of life. A prose poem, it offers a simple and positive crado (faith and belief) for life. Not only does it teach us to be aware of our weakness but it also shows those paths which leads to peace and joy, In explaining the mysteries of life, the poet spreads a positive atmosphere around our life. It requests us to be strong and asks us to listen to our conscence. There are enough reminders and careful observations of how we could face the troubles of our life and move towards a world of compassion.
The first stanza begins with an instruction being an instructional poem, to be calm amidst noise and haste. The second line immediately then spells out the value of silence and peace in everyday life. The first half of the 20th centuary was a big moment for American History. Not only did America asume the big brother role, after the First World War but also faced the great recession of 1929. In such circumstances of American fast life, the poet saw loose of peace. Hence he requested for , "Going placedly". Then he goes on to value human relationship on a positive note. Whatever happened in life, Ehrmann believed that being good term with all person and surrending ourselves for the cause of the world was slowly missing from the main stream of life. Instead people beacame self centered and spoke lied to benefit themselves. In addition , people hardly had the time to listen to others. They spoke loudly and rudely forgetting all ethiques of normal human life. The concept of truth was somehow sold awsy with the dart element of the world. No, one wanted to speak the truth quietly and clearly. They even forget how even the dull and ignorant hard then stories to be told. Hence the poem instructs us to do the otherwise becoming truthful and simple.
"Go placedly among noise and haste,
and remember what peace there may be in silence...
Be on good terms with all persons.
Speak your truth quietly and clearly;
and listen to others."
"Avoid loud and agressive person;
they are vexations to spirit.
If you compare yourself with others,
you may become vain or bitter,
for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.
Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans."
"Keep intersted in your own cureer, however humble,
it's real possession in the changing fortunes of time.
Exercise caution in your business affairs,
for the world is full of trickery.
But let this not bind you to what virtue there is:
many persons strive for high ideas,
and everywhere life is full of heroism."
Even since man got enlightened, he began to also understand morals. Indue course of time, evil was born to challange the goodness of humanity. Trachery beacme a mean to cheat and betray people. In the mordern age this and has become a fashion and passion of many. Hence, the poet wants us all because we are constantly at the risk of being tricked. Lets not falsly asume that we couldn't be buffed. Therefore there is need for caution in our day to day business affair. The irony of life is we are constantly challanged due to our innosence and honesty. As such we must always have faith in our positively. Insted of binding ourselves to the trick of the world, we must inculcated virtues and high ideas wherever they may be. Lets nover forget that everywhere there are opportunities to make a hero of us. Standing up to our ideas, we must not surrender to the false philosophies of our world.
Moving further, the poet now discusses individually identities and their importance in the big wide world. Such is the beauty of virtue of life in nature that even we as human beings are essentially unique and individually important to others. There is no reason why we must consider ourselves burdened for other. Life manifests itself in different forms. As such, each of us is an integral part. There is enough reason to face what comes our way. Therefore the poet advices us to, "Be yourself". There is no use - pretending to be someone else because it will give us virues and deflected pictures of ourself. We wouldn't be able to understand who we are, then and words till we lost in the confused growing population. Trying to ape someone else in the crowd. The poem again goes on to say that the world is an arid and this enchanted place in which we should become grass lasting temporarily. The poet uses a beautiful metaphor of grass lasting short.
"Be yourself ... In the face of all
aridity and disen chantment,
it is as perennial as the grass."
"Take kindly the counsel of the years
gracefully surrendering the things of youth...
be gentle with yourself."
"It is still a beautiful world
Be cheerful.
Strive to be happy."
KK
(Correspondent)
Kuipeer
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