Ignorance Isn't Bliss

Written in Iambic Pentameter, inspired by Fahrenheit 451.

What a strange saying, “Ignorance is bliss,”
I find it to be rather hit and miss;
On one hand, it prevents a life of pain,
Shields its victims from emotional strain.

Reversely, is life really worth living,
If you’re not taking, and you’re not giving?
If all you do is go through the motions?
If “fun” and “play” seem like insane notions?

Many say no, with all their heart and soul;
They disown the idea as a whole.
They take offense when hearing such a thing,
As a wholly ignorant human b’ing.

Of course, the ignorant take no offense.
They died, and haven’t felt anything hence.
I don’t mean that they’re physically dead,
Allow me to rephrase what I just said.

I mean not that they now lie in a grave,
Rather, I speak of the way they behave;
They chose to live a life without feeling;
A life that did indeed seem appealing.

However, as the days turned into years,
Their joys disappeared, along with their fears.
And day by day, they became less human ,
Until, at last, they lost their acumen;

And they relinquished their freedom of thought.
And the greatest travesty had been wrought:
The ignorant had been fully destroyed,
Ev’ry thinking part of the mind left void.

And now there lies only an empty shell,
Which walks ‘mong others, in an empty hell;
Walking, talking, sometimes analyzing,
Some speaking, but never socializing.

Until one day, their suff’ring is ended.
By a nuclear blast that no one noted;
Too focused were they on seeing nothing,
That they couldn’t tell they lost ev’rything.

Reviews

[Sami Khalil]

A lot of truth in your words and contemplation. Thank you for sharing with us your wonderful focus...:)................

[Dr. YumnaKay]

Such a thought-provoking composotion. To those of us who have been raised by being told that " not knowing is a blessing", this indeed raises questions.. Nicely penned ☺