Learn to Die

A Villanelle.

Learn or Die

Pain is supposed to spiritually teach,

Lessons beyond grasp they seem to be.

Please let it end is what I beseech.

We're exposed to grief prior to speech,

while we still sit upon Father's knee.

Pain is supposed to spiritually teach.

For trust, careless action causing a breach,

compound remorse is the guarantee.

Please let it end is what I beseech.

In anger it is God I impeach.

What could You possibly want of me?

Pain is supposed to spiritually teach.

Standing forlorn on my shipwrecked beach,

deserted but for my guilt to see,

Please let it end is what I beseech.

When seeing my dreams drift beyond reach,

to endeavor again I agree.

Pain is supposed to spiritually teach.

Please let it end is what I beseech.

Reviews

[Kho-San]

I like this villanelle, and I like the idea behind it too. In pain we can truly find something deeper, we can learn something more about ourselves, humanity, life and, indeed, death. But sometimes pain is just that, sometimes it can be hard to look beyond it and know the lesson, and sometimes 'Please let it end' IS what we beseech, and God is who we blame and accuse of causing our suffering. It calls to mind Edmund's cynical line in King Lear, it is 'the excellent foppery of the world' that when we meet with suffering on this road through life, 'we make guilty of our disasters the sun, the moon, and stars,'

A beautiful poem, thank you for writing it, it truly inspired some deep thoughts within me (it must be because we've been reading so much Blake at school haha)

[abluehorseandflowers]

Thank you Kho-San for your much deeper knowledge of literature than mine, and your kind words for my effort. This was one of the harder poems for me to write, partly because of the content, but more for how to express how it feels. I am grateful you took the time to comment.
Peacefulness... Scott

[Kho-San]

Please, my knowledge of literature is no deeper than the next person's, your poem just seemed to fit with the little that I know. I look forward to reading and reviewing more of your poems over time. Villanelles are very hard to write, I personally don't think I could write one, so the very fact that you have is something to be proud of, AND you manage to stir such emotions within the reader.