Hope Springs Eternal

Cherry

By luigi_pagano

Mon, 28 Dec 2015
  • 2065 reads
8 comments
 

Hope springs eternal in the human breast;
Man never is, but always to be blessed:
                         Alexander Pope, An Essay on Man

How sad it is to see
hard hitting images
of death and destruction,
dejection, dereliction,
daily documented
by TV transmissions.

Nowadays the news
are all about
tragic, traumatic, topics.
We read of flash floods,
of poor people who
have lost their property
and are not insured.

But we are insensitive,
or have become inured
to such standard stories.
It’s not unusual for us
to gaily and glibly gibber
about climate change;
we gather it is global
and not something strange.

Yet as a new year approaches
we vow we will have
a prosperous period
with much merrymaking.
It’s not a flight of fancy,
we’ll dispense with the delusion
that the whole world is wicked.

© Luigi Pagano 2015

Certificate U
Poem
Mutevoli pensieri

Comments

Submitted by forest_for_ever on

I always love your work and this piece once again 'hits the spot' as it were.  Loved it.

 

Submitted by luigi_pagano on

I am much obliged to you for your favourable assessment. Very kind of you, Graham. Many thanks.

Best, Luigi

 

Submitted by loquaciousicity on

Some 'events' are god's will... but we don't see the irony...

Other events are driven by those that control the world... but here we don't see anything...

Excellent poem!!

Terry

Submitted by luigi_pagano on

Many thanks for your incisive comment, Terry. Greatly appreciated.

Regards, Luigi

 

Submitted by Bee on

This is a really strong peice of writing, Luigi. One of your best, I think. 

Bee

Submitted by luigi_pagano on

This piece started for me as a bit of fun (a divertimento as we Italians say) as I recognided a pattern I could work with, i.e., alliterations. It developed as it went along and their number increased. Apart from the experiment, I hoped that the poem also conveyed a message.
It is difficult for an author to judge the merit of his work without any bias and it is only by the readers' reaction that we can see its worth. It is rewarding to see your appreciation alongside an always welcome cherry. My thanks for both.

Luigi x

 

Submitted by Parson Thru on

Hi Luigi. I enjoyed your experiment. Also your observation on assessing one's own work. Very astute.

In the final stanza, should the word "wow" be "know"?

Parson Thru

Submitted by luigi_pagano on

Thanks for stopping by, Kevin. Your query about the last stanza made me re-examine the line in question and agree that there was a typo: it should have been 'vow'. The spellchecker didn't spot it as 'wow' is a valid noun/verb. I shall remedy it at once.

Best, Luigi