Hello, world! This blog began on September 28, 2007, and so far nobody has come looking for me with tar and feathers.
On my honor, I will do my best not to bore you. All comments are welcome as long as your discourse is civil and your language is not blue.
Happy reading, and come back often!
And whether my cup is half full or half empty, fill my cup, Lord.
Copyright 2007 - 2024 by Robert H.Brague
Friday, April 6, 2012
A do-it-yourself meditation for Good Friday with a little help from Lewis Carroll
If you know where you want to go, it matters a great deal.
Mr. Shooting, Lewis Carroll's message is not that all roads lead to the same place, it is that if you have no goal in mind, you're highly unlikely to reach it. Frost's message is that you have to make choices in life and some of them have consequences that can never be undone and lead to places you never expected.
I always thought the Frost was 'taking the mickey' with this particular poem. Many people blame small decisions back in their lives, that in retrospect, they say, had big consequences, whereas in fact they would probably have ended up where they are anyway, whatever route they'd taken. Lots of people criticised RF for his choices (eg to buy the farm when he was a hopeless farmer). But I once went to his farm, and I think I see why he bought it. It was such a wonderful and poetry-inspiring place. It was 'him'.
Katherine is correct. Frost's poem was a joke on his friend, Edward Thomas. When out walking, it amused Frost that Thomas would often lead the way in search of some rare flower or bird's egg that never materialised. Thomas would reproach himself for not having gone the other way.
'No matter which road you take. you'll sigh, and wish you'd taken another' was the tease that became the poem.
As for the Cheshire Cat, if you have no goal in mind then there is no goal to reach, so it truly doesn't matter which path you take. Both will lead you to where you will be.
Katherine and Shooting Parrots, I know what Wikipedia says about what Frost said the "Road" poem meant. I can read. When I told you what it meant, I meant what it meant to me, which is something altogether different from what Frost said. Poets rarely understand their own poems, you know. It requires the eyes of others to ferret out the real meaning. I stand by my original interpretation.
Yorkshire P., you talk like a Californian. Georgians do not say "the 575" and "the 75"....
Sorry to be such an annoyance - it wasn't even you than mentioned Frost. That was me which comes of having just read some of Matthew Hollis' biography of Edward Thomas.
All, it was my hope to provoke some discussion about the Cheshire Cat's statement as pertains to the road Christ deliberately took (it is supposed to be a Good Friday meditation, after all) and also the road we individual humans choose (or don't choose) to take in light of it.
My dear Robert who would have thought this would have sparked such a debate! For me on a personal level I like it because it has always made me think of 'what if?' with each path there is a journey and making the choice of which to follow is never easy or certain , but that's just my thoughts.
I clearly made a poor choice by going down the Robert Frost road.
Returning to your original point, yes it does make you think. Did Christ take that route deliberately, or was it his destiny? Did he have a choice or was the ending inevitable?
These are fundamental questions that I don't have the theological bent to answer.
Pat, PAT, P-A-T!!! I agree with your sentiments and reciprocate the greeting. Thank you for dropping in at Ye Olde Blogge once again! I have been unable to get on an.arkansas.stamper in quite some time. Are you still blogging? I am full of questions. E-mail me as to the whys and wherefores of your non-whereabouts, if you will. Don't want to lose touch.
The Cheshire Cat has echoes in The Road Not Taken, perhaps the most widely misread poem.
ReplyDeleteWhat Frost was saying is that it makes no difference which path we take because both are equally untrodden and lead us to the same place.
I like this very much!
ReplyDeleteMr. Shooting, Lewis Carroll's message is not that all roads lead to the same place, it is that if you have no goal in mind, you're highly unlikely to reach it. Frost's message is that you have to make choices in life and some of them have consequences that can never be undone and lead to places you never expected.
ReplyDeleteEmma, thank you! Please tell me why.
I always thought the Frost was 'taking the mickey' with this particular poem. Many people blame small decisions back in their lives, that in retrospect, they say, had big consequences, whereas in fact they would probably have ended up where they are anyway, whatever route they'd taken. Lots of people criticised RF for his choices (eg to buy the farm when he was a hopeless farmer).
ReplyDeleteBut I once went to his farm, and I think I see why he bought it. It was such a wonderful and poetry-inspiring place. It was 'him'.
Katherine is correct. Frost's poem was a joke on his friend, Edward Thomas. When out walking, it amused Frost that Thomas would often lead the way in search of some rare flower or bird's egg that never materialised. Thomas would reproach himself for not having gone the other way.
ReplyDelete'No matter which road you take. you'll sigh, and wish you'd taken another' was the tease that became the poem.
As for the Cheshire Cat, if you have no goal in mind then there is no goal to reach, so it truly doesn't matter which path you take. Both will lead you to where you will be.
Which road do you take? The 575 to Cobb County then the 75 all the way to Atlanta Airport. Make sure you're there by midday on Wednesday.
ReplyDeleteKatherine and Shooting Parrots, I know what Wikipedia says about what Frost said the "Road" poem meant. I can read. When I told you what it meant, I meant what it meant to me, which is something altogether different from what Frost said. Poets rarely understand their own poems, you know. It requires the eyes of others to ferret out the real meaning. I stand by my original interpretation.
ReplyDeleteYorkshire P., you talk like a Californian. Georgians do not say "the 575" and "the 75"....
Sorry to be such an annoyance - it wasn't even you than mentioned Frost. That was me which comes of having just read some of Matthew Hollis' biography of Edward Thomas.
ReplyDeleteLet's return to the Cheshir Cat.
All, it was my hope to provoke some discussion about the Cheshire Cat's statement as pertains to the road Christ deliberately took (it is supposed to be a Good Friday meditation, after all) and also the road we individual humans choose (or don't choose) to take in light of it.
ReplyDeleteAlas, things don't always go as planned.
My dear Robert who would have thought this would have sparked such a debate! For me on a personal level I like it because it has always made me think of 'what if?' with each path there is a journey and making the choice of which to follow is never easy or certain , but that's just my thoughts.
ReplyDeleteHappy Easter
I clearly made a poor choice by going down the Robert Frost road.
ReplyDeleteReturning to your original point, yes it does make you think. Did Christ take that route deliberately, or was it his destiny? Did he have a choice or was the ending inevitable?
These are fundamental questions that I don't have the theological bent to answer.
I know The Way... and it does make a difference.
ReplyDeleteHappy Easter, Bob and Mrs. Bob.
Alleluiah!
Thank you, Emma and Parrots, for keeping the conversation going!
ReplyDeletePat, PAT, P-A-T!!! I agree with your sentiments and reciprocate the greeting. Thank you for dropping in at Ye Olde Blogge once again! I have been unable to get on an.arkansas.stamper in quite some time. Are you still blogging? I am full of questions. E-mail me as to the whys and wherefores of your non-whereabouts, if you will. Don't want to lose touch.
ReplyDeleteOh dear. I hope I respected your path too Robert. After all, it's your blog.
ReplyDelete