I recently stumbled across a blog which really made me stop and think about my mortality in a way that I don't think I had before. Obviously, I know I won't be around forever, but I take it for granted that I've got at least 50 years ahead of me. I think to a certain degree, you have to ignore the fact of your own mortality - not so much that you don't look before crossing the road, but just to be able to go ahead and make future plans and goals and to have hope and dreams. The blog is written by a young woman named Ellie, 28, who was diagnosed with terminal cancer earlier this year and is fighting it remarkably bravely. I like the blog because I like her - she is angry, sad, realistic, funny and not overly cheesy. Take a look: http://writtenoff.net/about/
Ellie believes she can beat her cancer, and I sincerely hope that she does. This reminds me of a poem - more of a traditional classic than the others I have posted so far (don't let that put anyone off!)
Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night, by Dylan Thomas. Read it here:
This poem and Ellie's blog have a fighting spirit in common. If you've ever had anyone close to you be critically ill or even dying, you will know that urge, that desperation, for them to keep going and to resist death - whether or not that's a fair or possible ask. The repetition of the lines 'do not go gentle into that good night' and 'rage, rage against the dying of the light' are really powerful in embodying that anguish and the need to keep going. I like the universality of the poem too; despite being addressed to a father, I think it is less about one person and more about being human full stop. Be you wild or wise, good or grave, everyone will face death. You could wonder why it's even worth trying, but I suppose it's the love of those around us - like the son's voice in the poem, or Ellie's fiance in her blog - that keeps us going and makes us want to fight and stay alive for as long as we can.
If you're a complete geek like me, you may be interested to know that this poem is an example of a villanelle.
No comments:
Post a Comment