One need not

[PrinceMyshkin]

One need not turn away from happiness.
One stands with one hand full,
overflowing,
and the other hand empty.

And one stares and stares at the empty hand
and mewls: “Why? When? Why not?
Why not me? Why do others have so much
and I have nothing?”

And yet, underneath all that,
although one does not know
or want to admit it,
one is happy!

[Sweets America]

One need not turn away from happiness.
One stands with one hand full,
overflowing,
and the other hand empty.

And one stares and stares at the empty hand
and mewls: “Why? When? Why not?
Why not me? Why do others have so much
and I have nothing?”

And yet, underneath all that,
although one does not know
or want to admit it,
one is happy!


It says something about human beings. But, it seems that every human person needs to have a certain emptiness in order to have this desire to search for more happiness, for something else. There is something which says that without desire, emptiness, we would die because we would lose our 'Eros'. I don't know.

I like the idea of the poem but the poem itself does not absolutely move me, plus I have trouble with this:


although one does not know
or want to admit it,
one is happy!

It somehow pisses me off, maybe because it's true, I don't know. But that makes me think of someone complaining and someone else telling him/her not to complain cause he/she is happier than they think. I don't like the idea that someone could think he can judge if someone else is happy or not. But in the meantime here it refers to the speaker himself who denies his own luck compared to other people. I don't know. This is an interesting question, thought-provoking, and I want to correct what I said earlier: this poem moves me, actually, even if it's not necessarily pleasant.

[PrinceMyshkin]

These are wonderful, thought-provoking comments - almost more like a dialogue between you and the poem rather than a comment...


It says something about human beings. But, it seems that every human person needs to have a certain emptiness in order to have this desire to search for more happiness, for something else. There is something which says that without desire, emptiness, we would die because we would lose our 'Eros'. I don't know.

Nor do I, but it is a speculation that disturbs me. We all know the cliche that art is created, as a pearl is, by some sort of irritation under one's skin (in the human case, under the psychic skin). But I want to reject that! I want to believe that some of my poems are written out of a fullness of being rather than the emptiness you speak of. And also, re what you say about Eros, that certainly sometimes I love out of need, out of a feeling of being empty or incomplete in myself; but at other times that I love out of a fullness of love that needs somewhere to offer itself.


I like the idea of the poem but the poem itself does not absolutely move me,
Well, not every poem need move one - or not necessarily in the same way; not in an emotional way. But if you really want one to move you, here it is:


Nitroglycerin!
Plastique!
Atom bomb!
Nuclear fission!


plus I have trouble with this:


And yet, underneath all that,
although one does not know
or want to admit it,
one is happy!


It somehow pisses me off, maybe because it's true, I don't know. But that makes me think of someone complaining and someone else telling him/her not to complain cause he/she is happier than they think. I don't like the idea that someone could think he can judge if someone else is happy or not. But in the meantime here it refers to the speaker himself who denies his own luck compared to other people.

Yes, pretty much any time I make a generalization about humankind I am extrapolating from myself. What is that line by Whitman: "I am large. I contain multitudes". It is arrogant, of course; but perhaps there can be no art without a certain kind or amount of arrogance.


I don't know. This is an interesting question, thought-provoking, and I want to correct what I said earlier: this poem moves me, actually, even if it's not necessarily pleasant.

"Pleasant"? Since when did art have to be "pleasant"? Would you prefer something more like this:


[QUOTE]The flowers that bloom in the spring,
Tra la,
Breathe promise of merry sunshine —
As we merrily dance and we sing,
Tra la,
We welcome the hope that they bring,
Tra la...[QUOTE]


Gilbert & Sullivan, The Mikado

[Sweets America]

I never said that art needed to be pleasant, baby. Damnit. :p I just said that the ending of your poem pissed me off. :) I think this poem reminds me of one other that you had written and after showing it to me, you had decided that it was not worth it. I feel that this new poem reminds me of that other one cause what it says has already been said, it's too logical in a way even if it's not necessarily true. I don't know if you see what other poem I am referring too, I don't remember what it was about.

Oh, I like your ideas about the fullness and giving out of it, yeah. I love the Whitman line, too, that's great.

Oh, and why don't you put an 's' at the end of 'need' in 'one need not?'. You also wrote not every poem need move one , still without a 's', so does that mean that the 's' has nothing to do here? I am wondering. I want to know. Thanks.

[PrinceMyshkin]

I never said that art needed to be pleasant, baby. Damnit. :p
True, but by criticising my poem or the end of it as not pleasant I thought you implied, at least, that you preferred poetry that is.

Oh, and why don't you put an 's' at the end of 'need' in 'one need not?'. You also wrote not every poem need move one , still without a 's', so does that mean that the 's' has nothing to do here? I am wondering. I want to know. Thanks.[/QUOTE]

I'm not sure of the rule but am confident that's the custom: maybe because "one need not" and the other case you mentioned are in the conditional voice.

[Sweets America]

True, but by criticising my poem or the end of it as not pleasant I thought you implied, at least, that you preferred poetry that is.

Of course not, poetry needs not be pleasant. It's just that I think that what this poem says is too easy.

[ampoule]

One need not turn away from happiness.
One stands with one hand full,
overflowing,
and the other hand empty.

And one stares and stares at the empty hand
and mewls: “Why? When? Why not?
Why not me? Why do others have so much
and I have nothing?”

And yet, underneath all that,
although one does not know
or want to admit it,
one is happy!


I KNOW IT! I KNOW IT! I KNOW IT! But I want to whine pout kick spit....LOLO....what's THAT? LOLO:confused: ....Heck, I don't know, but I'll leave it....
any vay, I love what your poem is saying. I am so thankful for my full hand. That is what truly makes me happy. But I am still pretty pathetic when I look at my empty hand and I'd like to punch him in the nose, or worse. But I really, really like your poem even if it is making me think about my empty hand. ROTFCOL

[PrinceMyshkin]

I KNOW IT! I KNOW IT! I KNOW IT! But I want to whine pout kick spit....LOLO....what's THAT? LOLO:confused: ....Heck, I don't know, but I'll leave it....
any vay, I love what your poem is saying. I am so thankful for my full hand. That is what truly makes me happy. But I am still pretty pathetic when I look at my empty hand and I'd like to punch him in the nose, or worse. But I really, really like your poem even if it is making me think about my empty hand. ROTFCOL

ICHWWROTFCOLAM?

[blp]

I think 'need not be pleasant' is right.

How about ending, 'one is OK'.

[ampoule]

ICHWWROTFCOLAM?

Easy for YOU to say. :D

[PrinceMyshkin]

Easy for YOU to say. :D

Ok, O-KAY! I give up! Tell me please what "COL" means?

Chewing on licorice?
Capering on linoleum?
Careening on liquor?

[ampoule]

crying out loud....pretty boring huh?