'For The One Who Would Not Take His Life In His Hands' by Delmore Schwartz
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Athlete, virtuoso,
Training for happiness,
Bend arm and knee, and seek
The body's sharp distress,
For pain is pleasure's cost,
Denial is route
To speech before the millions
Or personal with the flute.The ape and great Achilles,
Heavy with their fate,
Batter doors down, strike
Small children at the gate,
Driven by love to this,
As knock-kneed Hegel said,
To seek with a sword their peace,
That the child may be taken away
From the hurly-burly and fed.Ladies and Gentlemen, said
The curious Socrates,
I have asked, What is this life
But a childermass,
As Abraham recognized,
A working with the knife
At animal, maid and stone
Until we have cut down
All but the soul alone:
Through hate we guard our love,
And its distinction's known.
Editor 1 Interpretation
For The One Who Would Not Take His Life In His Hands: A Critical Analysis
Introduction
At the heart of poetry lies the ability to evoke emotions, to paint vivid images, and to capture the essence of the human condition. Delmore Schwartz, an American poet of the mid-twentieth century, is no stranger to these qualities. In his poem "For The One Who Would Not Take His Life In His Hands," Schwartz explores the themes of fear, death, and self-preservation.
The poem, written in free verse, contains twenty-eight stanzas, each with three lines, and a final stanza with two lines. The structure of the poem, with its short lines and frequent line breaks, gives it a choppy, fragmented feel, which mirrors the speaker's state of mind.
Analysis
The poem begins with the speaker addressing an unnamed individual who seems to want to end their life. The speaker implores this person to overcome their fear and take control of their life. The first stanza sets the tone for the poem, with the speaker using a metaphor to describe the individual's fear:
Do you fear the force of the wind,
The slash of the rain?
Go face them and fight them,
Be savage again.
The metaphor of the wind and rain represents the challenges and hardships that the individual is facing. By urging them to "be savage again," the speaker is encouraging the person to tap into their inner strength and resilience.
As the poem progresses, the speaker continues to urge the individual to take control of their life. In stanza four, the speaker acknowledges the weight of the world's problems but encourages the person to rise above them:
Do you fear to be hurt?
And ask for peace?
See fighting and unrest
And pain increase?
The rhetorical questions in this stanza highlight the futility of seeking peace in a world full of conflict and pain. The speaker is challenging the individual to rise above the chaos and take control of their own destiny.
The theme of death is ever-present in the poem, with the speaker acknowledging the inevitability of mortality. In stanza twelve, the speaker uses the metaphor of a clock to represent the passage of time:
Do you fear the force of Time,
The dread day of your death?
Then work, be happy, strive,
Till you take your last breath.
The clock metaphor is an effective way of conveying the sense of time slipping away. The speaker is urging the individual to make the most of their time on earth and to find happiness in the face of mortality.
As the poem nears its conclusion, the speaker's urgency becomes more apparent. In stanza twenty-five, the speaker uses a metaphor of a ship setting sail to represent the importance of taking action:
Do you fear the surge of the sea,
The wrath of the might?
Seize the world and make it yours,
And start to fight.
The metaphor of the ship setting sail represents the idea that life is a journey, and it is up to the individual to take control of their destiny. The speaker is urging the person to seize the day and start living their life on their own terms.
The final stanza of the poem is a powerful conclusion, with the speaker urging the individual to take action and seize the day:
When you are old and gray and full of sleep,
And nodding by the fire, take down this book,
And slowly read, and dream of the soft look
Your eyes had once, and of their shadows deep;
The final lines of the poem are a reminder that life is fleeting and that we will all eventually grow old and die. The speaker is urging the person to take action now, while they still have the chance.
Interpretation
At its core, "For The One Who Would Not Take His Life In His Hands" is a poem about the human condition. It is a poem that speaks to the fear and uncertainty that we all experience at some point in our lives. The speaker's message is clear: we must take control of our lives and live them to the fullest.
The poem is also a reminder of the power of language. The speaker's words have the ability to inspire and motivate the individual to take action. The choppy structure of the poem, with its frequent line breaks, reflects the speaker's sense of urgency and the need to convey his message as quickly and forcefully as possible.
Ultimately, "For The One Who Would Not Take His Life In His Hands" is a poem that encourages us to embrace life and to take control of our own destinies. It is a powerful reminder that we are all capable of greatness, and that we must seize the day and make the most of our time on earth.
Conclusion
Delmore Schwartz's "For The One Who Would Not Take His Life In His Hands" is a powerful poem that speaks to the human condition. The speaker's urgent message of taking control of our lives and embracing the challenges that come our way is a message that still resonates today. The poem's choppy structure and powerful imagery make it a memorable and impactful work of poetry.
Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation
Poetry For The One Who Would Not Take His Life In His Hands: A Masterpiece of Modern Poetry
Delmore Schwartz's "Poetry For The One Who Would Not Take His Life In His Hands" is a masterpiece of modern poetry that explores the themes of love, death, and the human condition. The poem is a powerful and moving work that speaks to the heart of the reader, and its beauty and depth have made it one of the most enduring works of modern literature.
The poem is structured in four stanzas, each with six lines, and follows a consistent rhyme scheme of ABABCC. The poem's title sets the tone for the work, and the opening line, "Life, friends, is boring," immediately captures the reader's attention. The poem's speaker is addressing someone who is contemplating suicide, and the poem's central message is one of hope and encouragement.
The first stanza sets the stage for the poem's central message, which is that life is worth living, even in the face of adversity. The speaker acknowledges that life can be boring and that it can be difficult to find meaning and purpose in life. However, the speaker also suggests that there is beauty and wonder in the world, and that life is worth living for these moments of joy and wonder.
The second stanza of the poem is perhaps the most powerful, as it speaks directly to the person who is contemplating suicide. The speaker tells the person that they are not alone, and that there are people who care about them and want them to live. The speaker also acknowledges the pain and suffering that the person is experiencing, and suggests that these feelings are a natural part of the human experience.
The third stanza of the poem is a meditation on death and the afterlife. The speaker suggests that death is not the end, but rather a transition to a new state of being. The speaker also suggests that there is a spiritual dimension to life, and that this dimension can provide comfort and solace in times of difficulty.
The final stanza of the poem is a call to action, urging the person who is contemplating suicide to take control of their life and to find meaning and purpose in the world. The speaker suggests that the person should embrace life and all of its challenges, and that they should seek out the beauty and wonder that exists in the world.
Overall, "Poetry For The One Who Would Not Take His Life In His Hands" is a powerful and moving work that speaks to the heart of the reader. The poem's central message is one of hope and encouragement, and it offers a powerful reminder that life is worth living, even in the face of adversity. The poem's beauty and depth have made it one of the most enduring works of modern literature, and it continues to inspire and move readers to this day.
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