Suffering and Death /// Emma Landry

       W.D. Auden's poem that most struck me was "Musée des Beaux Arts." It truly emphasizes the epidemic of human selfishness and self-absorption. In events of immense meaning that point to the existence of God, many people still do not respond appropriately.to these milestones. In the miracle of human life, as the poem reveals, many are still concerned with their personal feelings. Though people are arriving into this life who are all image-bearers of the Almighty God, there are still some who are resentful and focus on how an addition to the family could affect their lives. "For the miraculous birth, there always must be children who did not specially want it to happen," says Auden (lines 6-7). On the other hand, some are more indifferent than anything else. This lack of caring and empathy or lack of emotions surrounding significant life circumstances for other people is the most alarming of all. They hints at humans becoming dehumanized as they are more and more disconnected from the experiences of others and do not generally love like Jesus. Unfortunately, the culture Auden experienced in his day has only worsened over time. Auden talks about Icarus in a line in which he describes "the expensive delicate ship that must have seen...a boy falling out of the sky, had somewhere to get to and calmly sailed on (lines 19-21)." This reminds me of the Parable of the Good Samaritan. Though the man on the side of the road was only injured and not dead, priests passed him by partly because they were concerned with handling their own business. They were devoid of human compassion and did not want to be inconvenienced by extending a helping hand to someone else. Similarly, when those on the ships notice the boy falling to his death, they are unaffected and carry on with their day. They do not try to help him in case he is still alive, and they do not care to pay any respects to him. Instead, the ending of another's life is a trivial matter to them. This is scary because it is reflected in today's culture as the rapid spread of tragic news on social media can result in people becoming desensitized to the constant flow of bad news and thus not mourning each person or their suffering as they deserve. Unfortunately, the magnitude and worth of each person's life can be quickly lost in the mundane of day-to-day living.

    Larkin's "Aubade," though quite dark, was also a standout piece. I do not agree at all with the author's pessimistic view of life and reality. He seems to believe that courage is worthless because death will one day capture all people. However, I disagree because I believe that having the courage to live a life to the fullest that one knows will eventually end is a beautiful thing. To face the day and decisions one makes head-on without reservations is admirable. So what if "death is no different whined at than withstood" (line 40)? Having courage for Christ will give life meaning, and it will mean that there is hope in the final result of death. Approaching death with faith in Him will actually be a quite different situation, contrary to what Larkin says. Death of the mortal body will simply be a transition point from mortal life to eternal fullness. It is true that death cannot be escaped. However, it does no good to wallow in the misery of such knowledge as the author does. He seems to believe that life is futile and has no significant meaning. However, people can leave a legacy on earth through how their lives are lived. Future generations can be affected and influenced to give glory to God. In addition, while bland daily tasks may not have everlasting meaning, we have to lead some kind of existence while we are here in order to survive. It is not such motions that we go through that determine whether we find significance in our lives, however. Only faith in Jesus Christ can bring that. 

I commented on Haylee Lynd's and Emma Kate Patterson's posts.