Why April is the cruelest month?
salah gammaa tweeted
Apr 17, 2022
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Amico mio, se securo? Che ha detu questo? Hahaha, it could be Mr. Martell. Look at your surname. Did I write it correctly? Thanks for your comment. I am sorry for the late reply. Don'g forget to extend my regards to your family. Thanks again.
Sometimes beautiful poetry can make little sense when we first read it. Overly abstract metaphors, vague descriptions of events, and references to other works that we might not have read can combine to make something that sounds pretty but has no meaning to the casual reader. This is an all too common occurrence and it can discourage people from trying to tackle some of the greatest poetry ever written. This is a shame.
An example of an excellent work that can be daunting to read is T.S. Eliot’s The Waste Land. Published in 1922, it is often considered one of the greatest poems ever written in the English language and a masterpiece of modern literature. In hopes of encouraging a few of you to try to tackle it yourselves, today we are going to go over the first lines and examine their meaning.
The opening lines of the poem are well known but vexing:
April is the cruellest month, breeding
Lilacs out of the dead land, mixing
Memory and desire, stirring
Dull roots with spring rain.
Winter kept us warm, covering
Earth in forgetful snow, feeding
A little life with dried tubers.
But, what does it mean?
The opening stanzas are strange. They refer to the blooming of flowers and the coming of spring in gloomy tones. Meanwhile, winter is viewed nostalgically; with snow keeping us warm. This is in contrast to most people’s stances on spring and winter, and the idea that winter keeps us warm is a paradox. Why is April cruel? Is it because of tax season? No wonder people get a few lines in and then quit.
Don’t worry, we’re here to help.
Eliot is reminding us that contrast can have a great effect on our happiness. As April arrives with promises of spring, sun, beauty, and growth the despairing person is placed in stark contrast to the bright world around them. In winter, however, everything is dead, cold, barely alive and doesn’t show a contrast to the inner life of a man in despair.
This idea of contrast fostering unhappiness was shared by the philosopher Epicurus, who argued that the happiest life was one of moderation. To indulge in luxury was to make the mundane seem dull in comparison and make us unhappy in the long run. Epicurus would agree with Eliot that the sadness of the narrator would be made worse by the world around them being so full of life.
Terima kasih banyak Sia untuk kumentarmu. Saya bahagia. I really appreciate your nice words. Thanks again.
Halo Sia, komentar kamu panjang dan saya suka nya. I like the essay a lot. It means that April after all, is not that cruel, is it? Paradoxes of life make things look just the other way round.
I really appreciate your way of answering that strange tweet of April. Please, extend my greetings to your family and friends. Many many thanks and sorry for the late reply.
Kimon acho Ahsnul Houque. Me neither. Thanks for your comment.