There are many metaphors concerning the nature of life; and, considering that life is multifaceted, metaphors will address different aspects of an individual’s time on this earth. For example, the quote- “Life is a journey, not a destination” compares life to a process, not a goal. Others will associate life with a box of chocolates- “You never know what you’re going to get.” Life, in this mindset, is not a controllable series of events in the immediate vicinity of a person, but a much larger scene in which each human takes a small part. Though metaphors discuss many different facets of life, nearly all of them address man’s control over his life, or lack thereof. This is how “In the Long Hall” paints a picture of life. “On his knees he was …show more content…
In other words, “In the Long Hall” upholds the belief that a man’s life is not his own, despite any delusions of control or power. Of course, one may find metaphors reflecting this view point. Such sayings as “Life is like a box of chocolates: you never know what you’re going to get” also depict life as a series of uncontrollable events. To the persona written by Hayden Carruth, life is indeed a tapestry that will not remain organized in a design set by mortal men. In this mindset, life is a force in which all mankind travels. Life is bigger than those who live it, as it were, and any attempt at individual shaping of life is …show more content…
If life is said to be inane and out-of-control, then it will also be said to have design that involves every living thing. This point-of-view is held by all those who look to a higher force that is in control of earthly events. There are metaphors stating that there is something more to life than that which meets the eye, that universal design is real. Such a comparison can be found in The Invention of Hugo Cabret, written by Bryan Selznick, where life is a great, massive contraption in which every living person has a role to fulfill in order for the machine to run
“The life course is the progression and path an individual takes from conception to death, and considers that the whole life of the individual presents opportunities for development, change and growth” (Crawford and Walker 2010).
Today’s culture focuses on such small factors of life and people do not focus on larger,
Both awe-inspiring and indescribable is life, the defined “state of being” that historians and scholars alike have been trying to put into words ever since written language was first created. And in the words of one such intellectual, Joshua J. Marine, “Challenges are what make life interesting; overcoming them is what makes life meaningful”. Essentially, he is comparing life to a bowl of soup. Without challenges or hardships into which we can put forth effort and show our potential, it becomes a dull and flavorless broth. But for characters in novels like Nathaniel Hawthorne’s
I think Ray Bradbury sums all this up in a quote from the book: "Life
Under the orders of her husband, the narrator is moved to a house far from society in the country, where she is locked into an upstairs room. This environment serves not as an inspiration for mental health, but as an element of repression. The locked door and barred windows serve to physically restrain her: “the windows are barred for little children, and there are rings and things in the walls.” The narrator is affected not only by the physical restraints but also by being exposed to the room’s yellow wallpaper which is dreadful and fosters only negative creativity. “It is dull enough to confuse the eye in following, pronounced enough to constantly irritate and provoke study, and when you follow the lame uncertain curves for a little distance they suddenly commit suicide – plunge off at outrageous angles, destroy themselves in unheard of contradictions.”
Life is a series of experiences in which each one of us grows into the individual we are now. Every move, each word and thought shapes our person.
of life: if something is meant to be, it will be, no matter what the
Life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives. (Jackie Robinson)
Orientational metaphor organizes concepts by giving them a spatial orientation. These metaphoric representations are not random; they are based on the structure of our bodies, and how we physically interact in a specific culture or environment. Metaphors like "I'm falling asleep," "he dropped dead," and, "You are under my control" provide a spatial relationship between the human subject and something found in the world. The authors explain that, while directional oppositions (up-down, in-out, front-back, etc.) are physical in nature, they aren't always the same for every culture. For example, while some cultures may see the future as ahead of us, others view it as behind us (14).
While thinking about metaphors, a poem came to mind. It's the one at the beginning of this paper. The poem portrays life as a journey. The road we tread stretches out before us. Around every bend lies a new experience. The adventure is overcoming any obstacles we encounter. Ah, but that is when the fun begins.
In conclusion, humankind is blessed with life as God created it. One must reflect on their actions throughout life because one will be judged by God in the next life, one must see the importance of gasping liberation, and one must have a loving and open heart when helping the poor. Life should be lived to its fullest because once time is lost, it cannot be regained; life needs to be appreciated.
Susan Wolf, born in 1952, is widely considered one of the greatest philosophers of the 20th and 21st century. One of Wolf’s most renowned works is The meanings of Lives, which drew a lot of attention in the philosophical world for a number of questions that arose from it. Arguably her most widely debated and questioned assertion in The meanings of Lives is “If you care about yourself you’re living as if you’re the center of the universe, which is false.” This however I don’t not believe to be true. Every human being, no matter how successful or unsuccessful, has the right to care for them sleeves and not believe they are the center of the universe while doing so.
Life is a journey, a cycle. We start somewhere and end somewhere, we are on a round trip. We experience different seasons and grow both physically and mentally. But some point in life all of us realize that we want last, live forever. From a very early age on we are being told that we all one day will pass away and be buried in the ground. The short story:”A Journey”, written by Colm Tóibin, takes us on a journey together with a young boy called David and his mother Mary.
I remember one time, I was on my way home from a long and strenuous day at my grandparents house. I spent the entire day pulling weeds from the ruins of a dilapidated garden, that was once full in bloom in the warm summer day, now dead from the roughness of winter. As I strained over the labor, my grandma exited the house, and said, “Don’t worry; it may appear to be a waste of time, but tending to a garden will be well worth the wait. In the spring, the garden will be full of life, and the flowers will bloom with great ease.” I’d like to think that life is somewhat similar to this concept.
Considering a philosophical approach, this poem has a positive effect on humans to live a better life. It shows how life is serious yet fragile thing and we only get one shot, one wrong move and it's all gone. In life each day is a new day, and each day can be made better than your last. Knowing who you are and where you want to go in life while making your own path for that to happen instead of being 'dumb cattle' is brave. Living your life to the fullest but not leaving anything behind is like not living at all. These three things are Longfellow's key to living and the meaning of life. At the end of it all life is what you make it, live each day as fully as possible because you never know when it could all