The story is a perfect rendering of the psychology behind wanting to belong to the 'Winning Tribe' even if that means - initially reluctant - giving up all the ideals you stood for.
And it is very recognizable, as many people will know former friends that 'sold their soul' or realize that they too did follow the well-trodden path that almost everyone takes.
The line in the poem of Robert Frost sums it up nicely > “Two roads diverged in a wood, and I— I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference.”
Something about that poem....i read once...(was my moms fav poem) is that it is commonly misinterpreted....but i can' t quite remember the angle!....ah, Frost...my elementary was named for him...best
Can a poem be misinterpreted? Poetry communicates its meaning on a different plane than the rational/analytical. So even if you read something different in it than what the author stated that he tried to convey, imo it's not 'misinterpretation'. It's how Frost's choice of words resonate with you.
The song 'Les Fenetres' by my all-time hero Jacques Brel also makes that point.
I added the english translation after the French original
I think I said as much in a following comment, we hear what we are meant to hear. But I do want to know what the poet or writer meant, as well. Both are important, yes?
I remember a painter speaking about his paintings, which were very geometric scenes of California houses, all sky and rectangles. Most folks saw the paintings as beautiful but his personal message was about the vapidity of the culture and the architecture. He wasn't trying allude to the beauty, but the lack thereof. Few saw it the way he meant it.
Hi Jacqueline, I do not think it is really IMPORTANT that we know what the poet/writer/painter/film-maker intended to convey with their work. It is INTERESTING but imo not really important, and it will in most cases not make a difference on how people perceive the work. My appreciation as well as my interpretation of the lines from Frost's poem did not change one bit knowing the background of what he wanted to convey.
As you wrote about the painting > folks saw beauty where the painter actually wanted to address the absence of it, and that goes to show that perception is everything. Art - or actually its impression on you - does not need explanation although expert comments on background/details can help you appreciating it even more (but seldom or never change your initial impression/perception). There are many funny cartoons/clips/anecdotes about academics trying to convince people that what is actually a turd is a great work of abstract art (e.g. two bicycle-frames welded together to represent Freedom).
Interesting tale...sad that Frost's writing might have convinced his friend to join a war in which he died in. Perhaps it's not always a binary choice and if you wait in the same spot long enough a new path emerges...
....what if the poem was never written and the friend died in the war anyway....we need more words for sad in english...poignant...ironic....twisted....sickly hilarious...'sad+beautiful'.....'sadness lessened by art'....'sadness understood better through poetry'.....thanks A
Amy, what will it take for your Whole Foods BFF to see the light? Presumably, people who shop at Whole Foods care about what they put in their bodies in the way of ingredients, but when it comes to whats injected--don't ask;don't tell-- is the operating system.
Yes this friend was vegan for a time and rather fanatical about food. I sometimes ponder when in the process of fighting stereotypes she inadvertantly became one. I've been less angry and more feeling sorry for her after hearing of the three deaths in her family. If genocidal regimes are anything to judge by, it seems there comes a point where people grow tired of burying the dead. On one hand death in threes is something I've seen in my own family, which had nothing to do with any jabs, but rather the death of one triggers a cascade with others old or sick. That could be all that happened here. On the other extreme my friend might have been pushing reluctant family members towards the jabs, and if they dropped "coincidentally" not long after, I wouldn't want to be in her head. Oddly she messaged me a few weeks ago, just this out of the blue hey what's up type of thing. I messaged back but she never responded. I decided to keep the door open, I suppose. The healing process is a long difficult road
re whole foods i get kinda creeped out there now due to the corp changes, amazon buyers club stuff....funny how no one I know who buys stuff off Amazon will agree its a good job to have, or if they did will recommend working there....so why would I support that? They just built a huge facility not far from me, it's a wonder the us post office is still in business...
I sometimes think these could turn into open threads about all the friends and family people have lost to this entire Covidcon. A few super pro lockdown advocates went early on but a lot more were gone after the jabs. It's like a death toll on top of a death toll...thanks...
Once again, a great piece of writing by Amy!
The story is a perfect rendering of the psychology behind wanting to belong to the 'Winning Tribe' even if that means - initially reluctant - giving up all the ideals you stood for.
And it is very recognizable, as many people will know former friends that 'sold their soul' or realize that they too did follow the well-trodden path that almost everyone takes.
The line in the poem of Robert Frost sums it up nicely > “Two roads diverged in a wood, and I— I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference.”
Thanks!
Something about that poem....i read once...(was my moms fav poem) is that it is commonly misinterpreted....but i can' t quite remember the angle!....ah, Frost...my elementary was named for him...best
Can a poem be misinterpreted? Poetry communicates its meaning on a different plane than the rational/analytical. So even if you read something different in it than what the author stated that he tried to convey, imo it's not 'misinterpretation'. It's how Frost's choice of words resonate with you.
The song 'Les Fenetres' by my all-time hero Jacques Brel also makes that point.
I added the english translation after the French original
Les fenêtres souvent
Se ferment en riant
Se ferment en criant
Quand on y va chanter
Ah, je n'ose pas penser
Qu'elles servent à voiler
Plus qu'à laisser entrer
La lumière de l'été
Non je préfère penser
Qu'une fenêtre fermée
Ça ne sert qu'à aider
Les amants à s'aimer
In english:
The windows often
Close up laughing
close with a shout
When we go there to sing
Ah, I dare not think
That they serve to veil
More than letting in
The light of summer
No I prefer to think
than a closed window
It only serves to help
lovers to love each other
I think I said as much in a following comment, we hear what we are meant to hear. But I do want to know what the poet or writer meant, as well. Both are important, yes?
I remember a painter speaking about his paintings, which were very geometric scenes of California houses, all sky and rectangles. Most folks saw the paintings as beautiful but his personal message was about the vapidity of the culture and the architecture. He wasn't trying allude to the beauty, but the lack thereof. Few saw it the way he meant it.
Hi Jacqueline, I do not think it is really IMPORTANT that we know what the poet/writer/painter/film-maker intended to convey with their work. It is INTERESTING but imo not really important, and it will in most cases not make a difference on how people perceive the work. My appreciation as well as my interpretation of the lines from Frost's poem did not change one bit knowing the background of what he wanted to convey.
As you wrote about the painting > folks saw beauty where the painter actually wanted to address the absence of it, and that goes to show that perception is everything. Art - or actually its impression on you - does not need explanation although expert comments on background/details can help you appreciating it even more (but seldom or never change your initial impression/perception). There are many funny cartoons/clips/anecdotes about academics trying to convince people that what is actually a turd is a great work of abstract art (e.g. two bicycle-frames welded together to represent Freedom).
https://interestingliterature.com/2021/07/frost-two-roads-diverged-wood-took-one-less-traveled-by-meaning-analysis/
Interesting tale...sad that Frost's writing might have convinced his friend to join a war in which he died in. Perhaps it's not always a binary choice and if you wait in the same spot long enough a new path emerges...
....what if the poem was never written and the friend died in the war anyway....we need more words for sad in english...poignant...ironic....twisted....sickly hilarious...'sad+beautiful'.....'sadness lessened by art'....'sadness understood better through poetry'.....thanks A
Amy, what will it take for your Whole Foods BFF to see the light? Presumably, people who shop at Whole Foods care about what they put in their bodies in the way of ingredients, but when it comes to whats injected--don't ask;don't tell-- is the operating system.
Amy, this was a nice read! Thank you!
Yes this friend was vegan for a time and rather fanatical about food. I sometimes ponder when in the process of fighting stereotypes she inadvertantly became one. I've been less angry and more feeling sorry for her after hearing of the three deaths in her family. If genocidal regimes are anything to judge by, it seems there comes a point where people grow tired of burying the dead. On one hand death in threes is something I've seen in my own family, which had nothing to do with any jabs, but rather the death of one triggers a cascade with others old or sick. That could be all that happened here. On the other extreme my friend might have been pushing reluctant family members towards the jabs, and if they dropped "coincidentally" not long after, I wouldn't want to be in her head. Oddly she messaged me a few weeks ago, just this out of the blue hey what's up type of thing. I messaged back but she never responded. I decided to keep the door open, I suppose. The healing process is a long difficult road
re whole foods i get kinda creeped out there now due to the corp changes, amazon buyers club stuff....funny how no one I know who buys stuff off Amazon will agree its a good job to have, or if they did will recommend working there....so why would I support that? They just built a huge facility not far from me, it's a wonder the us post office is still in business...
I sometimes think these could turn into open threads about all the friends and family people have lost to this entire Covidcon. A few super pro lockdown advocates went early on but a lot more were gone after the jabs. It's like a death toll on top of a death toll...thanks...