Emily Dickinson's wisdom

If I can stop one heart from breaking,
I shall not live in vain;
If I can ease one life the aching,
Or cool one pain,
Or help one fainting robin
Unto his nest again,
I shall not live in vain.

Here is an essay question for you all, ATS.
What part of this poem seems wrong to you?
What part seems right?

I see so much hatred, prejudice, blind party-line rhetoric.....everywhere. I see so little awareness of actual history; so many skewed versions of 'what has gone before,'....so many divergent opinions on what is owed to, or must be wrested from the hands of others.

What IS WRONG with wanting everyone to have an eased heart? To have enough to eat? To have a quality of life that is above the basic survival step of Maslow's pyramid?
Not one of us here, alone, can change the system.

We can get angry, we can point fingers, and blame, and shout, 'You are an advantage taker! You are stealing from my own! You are cheating and lying!'

But at/in/on the bottom line, what is it that makes the most sense to you?

To hoard and reject?
To vilify and denigrate and deny?
To alienate others?
To kill them for their beliefs?
To individually attack, with scalding words and proprietary righteousness, those who are suffering or alternatively those with astounding excess?

Or to work together to ensure that all are surviving and able to reach the top of that pyramid?

Ignore it if you like....
flame me all you want....
but the absolute bottom line truth for me is...we are responsible for one another, to a member! The human race.

Originally posted by wildtimes

If I can stop one heart from breaking,
I shall not live in vain;

What IS WRONG with wanting everyone to have an eased heart? To have enough to eat?

Where did you get the bit about everyone having enough to eat? I dont see any mention of that in the poem at all.
But going back to the bit about eased hearts, I'm of the opinion that "its better to have loved and lost than to never have loved at all".
A full and well lived life WILL include a bit of broken uneased heart somewhere along the line. You and Emily seem to want to put us all in a lithium lined padded room so that we never have to have that life experience.

no flames, thank you for post

imho no one lives in vain, with our eyes we may not see a purpose to every life, to me there is one.

really love poetry conveys so much.

reply to post by alfa1

You and Emily seem to want to put us all in a lithium lined padded room so that we never have to have that life experience.

Sorry, but...I don't get what you mean here.
Emily Dickinson is an American poet who lived from December 10, 1830 – May 15, 1886.

She's quite well-known.

Perhaps my question was not well understood.
I apologize for that. I am disturbed for the world, by the greed and tyranny I see everywhere....
that's all.

I find nothing to disagree with in this verse
It is uplifting

reply to post by alfa1

Where did you get the bit about everyone having enough to eat? I dont see any mention of that in the poem at all.

That part is from the pyramid.
I guess I see a profound connection. Thanks for your response.

reply to post by Iamschist

imho no one lives in vain, with our eyes we may not see a purpose to every life, to me there is one.

Totally agree with you, Iamschist. We all have a purpose.
Thanks for chiming in.
Peace and namaste

Originally posted by alfa1

Originally posted by wildtimes

If I can stop one heart from breaking,
I shall not live in vain;

What IS WRONG with wanting everyone to have an eased heart? To have enough to eat?

Where did you get the bit about everyone having enough to eat? I dont see any mention of that in the poem at all.
But going back to the bit about eased hearts, I'm of the opinion that "its better to have loved and lost than to never have loved at all".
A full and well lived life WILL include a bit of broken uneased heart somewhere along the line. You and Emily seem to want to put us all in a lithium lined padded room so that we never have to have that life experience.

My interpration is that Emily recogonises such a thing as a broken heart and would wish to ease the pain.

reply to post by artistpoet

My interpration is that Emily recogonises such a thing as a broken heart and would wish to ease the pain.

Mine as well....

there are so many millions of broken hearts, and I'm not just talking about 'romantic abandonment' broken...but in terms of faith, and hope, and courage....
and so few that we as individuals can actually try to ease.
If my neighbor or acquaintance expresses pain to me, I try to give words of hope and kindness....and in all sincerity hope that they find some solace.

Originally posted by wildtimes
reply to post by artistpoet

 

My interpration is that Emily recogonises such a thing as a broken heart and would wish to ease the pain.

Mine as well....

there are so many millions of broken hearts, and I'm not just talking about 'romantic abandonment' broken...but in terms of faith, and hope, and courage....
and so few that we as individuals can actually try to ease.
If my neighbor or acquaintance expresses pain to me, I try to give words of hope and kindness....and in all sincerity hope that they find some solace.

I know what you mean - Just a smile from a stranger can lift someones day.

reply to post by artistpoet

I know what you mean - Just a smile from a stranger can lift someones day.

And giving a smile to a stranger can also lift someones day. That's one thing about the midwest...or just my life?? I don't know....
but it seems that just making eye contact elicits mutual smiles.

reply to post by wildtimes


Yes - Simple things as you describe run deep within us. Simple things bring joy - We need to keep sight of the child within us - Sometimes I feel we are too clever for our own good - I know I am at times.