Ethics

In Linda Pastan's poem "Ethics," the speaker recounted a dilemma about morality that her teacher would ask every fall, the question had been repeated for many years. The question was the following "If there were a fire in a museum which would you save, a Rembrandt painting or an old woman who hadn't many years left anyhow?" (Pastan 3-6) The conversation between life and art was necessary for comprehension. In the poem “Ethics,” by Linda Pastan, the speaker made use of the literary elements of imagery and symbolism to illustrate that moral and ethical values can only be learned from the reflection which comes through experience and maturity.

The speaker used the literary element of imagery to create a representation in the reader’s mind, " The colors within this frame are darker than autumn, darker even than winter-the browns of earth, though earth's most radiant elements burn through the canvas." ( Pastan 19-23) This sentences described that the painting was not just a simple drawing in the museum; it had vivid colors. Besides, it was something alive and connected to earth which was also necessary to care and save by children. Readers might ask why children should take care and save the picture and the women? Why do not adults take care and save both of them? There was an answer; children were the future generations who should continue

But, staying the question made at least one person stop for a moment and interpret the question leading that person to think the scenario and analyze a concrete possible answer to the relevant question. Furthermore, Ethics is defined as moral principles concerning a particular group or form of conduct. Pastan’s poem caused individuals to study morals by making a connection to nature and on specific choices that seemed to be indifference but were both