I really need help

[Confuzzled_one]

Hi! Okay straight to the point. I am working on a project for my English class and I have to find a poem that relates to life in the world. I was thinking I could use...

THIS world is not conclusion;
A sequel stands beyond,
Invisible, as music,
But positive, as sound.
It beckons and it baffles;
Philosophies don’t know,
And through a riddle, at the last,
Sagacity must go.
To guess it puzzles scholars;
To gain it, men have shown
Contempt of generations,
And crucifixion known.

... When I read it I think about people in the world fighting over things like religion and who is right about what will happen after death. Do you get this feeling to or am I totally off? If you could help me I would appreciate it A LOT. Thanks.
Confuzzled_One

[ktd222]

I'll just get to my opinons of the poem and let you interpret from there.

Yes--I get the same feeling as you when reading the poem. The relation of peoples life in the world is one of truthes; in my view are worldly issues like
religon. But the poems copy that you display here is not the same as I've got
or is just not displayed:

THIS world is not conclusion;
A sequel stands beyond,
Invisible, as music,
But positive, as sound.
It beckons and it baffles;
Philosophies don’t know,
And through a riddle, at the last,
Sagacity must go.
To guess it puzzles scholars;
To gain it, men have shown
Contempt of generations,
And crucifixion known.

1) Indentions every other line sets up, to me, two imagined worlds. The descriptions of each world lining up. For example, 'this worlds' description
follows:

THIS world is not conclusion;
Invisible, as music,
It beckons and it baffles;
And through a riddle, at the last,
To guess it puzzles scholars;
Contempt of generations,

The sequel world:

A sequel stands beyond,
But positive, as sound.
Philosophies don’t know,
Sagacity must go.
To gain it, men have shown
And crucifixion known.


And yet, the description of a sequel world sets up a connection between the world 'now' and the 'sequel' world--but we can imagine both
by their descriptions. Further, the indention pattern remains constant throughout the poem. Meaning, there are no lines that ident any further. So as to set up that we will never move beyond the 'sequel world', but at last, will return to 'this world'.

Shes getting at truths 'gained'. These truths shouldn't be used as a tool used to condemn those who have different views; for those who don't
know the truth shall find out eventually in the 'sequel world'.
Discovering the truth should not be used as a tool to condemn others;for everyone will learn the truths...eventually.

2) Another element of the poem you should look at is 'senses'. The words describing human senses coupled with the indention sets up this thing where
certain senses, not any ordinary sense of 'this world', must 'be gained' in the sequel world to learn the truths we think we know in 'this world.'
There are a lot of other sensory words in the poem you should also seek out
yourself.

-These are some of the poetic elements, I think, she uses to bring to life the
poems meaning. I'm sure there are other poetic elements, but these are the ones that caught my eye.
This poem not only relates life to this world, but relates the After-life and the After-world to the world we live in. By ways of relieving the tensions that people with different sets of beliefs have, because we all will learn the truths in the end; therefore there is no needs to force truths upon anyone of this world.
She uses the example of religous truth that affects peoples view of each other in this world, but I also think, as with religon, any worldly issues.


Hope this helps.