.jpg)
I’m not going to hold my happiness hostage
to ransom from you a kiss.
I’ll still drink deep every star-sky, fresh spring,
and cat purr in your absence…
It’s simply you, and only you—
every part of you—I’d miss.”
- Josh D. Kuntzman
I’m not going to hold my happiness hostage
to ransom from you a kiss.
I’ll still drink deep every star-sky, fresh spring,
and cat purr in your absence…
It’s simply you, and only you—
every part of you—I’d miss.”
- Josh D. Kuntzman
I agree strongly with this poem, in that I don't like Shelley’s poem. Shelley’s poem places all the value in life in the affection of another, making life seem meaningless without it. The idea that all the joy that is to be experienced from life must come from another person is to completely ignore how important it is to be content with oneself. I agree with the idea that happiness should not be “held hostage” for another. If we spend our lives only finding happiness in what others give us, we are destined to be miserable. Instead, I think it's important to seek out happiness for oneself. To learn to be content alone, to have experiences and create memories without the expectation that life’s greatest gift comes from others. While love and affection are definitely important aspects in life, touched on in the poem, there are other sources in life from which we can derive happiness. Falling in love creates such a strong feeling that it can seem like nothing else in the world could possibly matter. That feeling can still be appreciated, can still be loved, can still be missed. But I think that learning to love oneself, and find happiness all alone, is truly the key to leading a happy life. The line “it's simply you”, to me, represents how even if another person can seem like the whole world, like the primary source of happiness, they are just a person, just themselves, and do not owe anything.
ReplyDelete:) I agree strongly with your agreement. As a profoundly extrovert person, I'd only beg to differ on one thing, that "it's important to ... learn to be content alone, to have experiences and create memories without the expectation that life’s greatest gift comes from others."
DeleteRather, I'd say:
"it's important to realize that, even when someone you love strongly isn't there, you're *not* alone; you have so many kinds of company ~ human and non-human, biological and environmental ~ wrapped around you.
There's no need to put it all on one person's shoulders (or lips... that's a lot of pressure): spread it out. Love widely, and be filled with all the love that flows back in."