The Most Vital Thing in Life

As our poetry unit is winding down, I cannot resist the temptation to post one last poem dissection. This week I want to discuss a poem that has not only impacted me profoundly, but I passed this on to Dr. Ison and he too became instantly enamored with “The Most Vital Thing in Life”. This poem is an allusion to Matthew 5:38-48 and especially Matthew 5:38-42. In this section of His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus talks about loving your enemies and turning the cheek when others talk poorly about you. This is such a great virtue to have in your back pocket. As I have experience in the past weeks, when people attack you or people you are close to, it is extremely easy to react to what they said with an objective of vengeance. The entire first stanza (this poem is written in such a way that it is almost impossible to quote a line or two) talks about when you “feel like saying something that you know you will regret” that it is time to clear your mind and create a “mental peace”. The first stanza also talks about how easy it is to keep your cool when your mind is at ease. The second stanza is something that is dealt with by people constantly, being maliciously accused of something that you have not done. This poem tells us that we should remain mum on this issue. “You must learn to keep strict silence though you know you’re in the right.” The poem concludes with “the most vital thing in life”. “If you are poised and tranquil when all around is strife, be assured that you have mastered the most vital thing in life.” If we remain calm and take the time to clear our heads we will have more positive outcomes despite negative situations. Perhaps that is a lesson we can all use.