| The weight of the world is love. Under the burden of solitude, under the burden of dissatisfaction the weight, the weight we carry is love. In these two stanzas he describes the heaviness of all that we go through as we go through it because of love and because we love, also the burden of being alone causes us to put up with certain things because we may be in love that is "the burden of solitude". |
without love,
no sleep
without dreams
of love--
be mad or chill
obsessed with angels
or machines,
the final wish
is love
--cannot be bitter,
cannot deny,
cannot withhold
if denied:
the weight is too heavy
In these stanzas I believe he addresses denial as a major factor of this "burden", everything we strive to accomplish whether forfillment of faith or within our careers we strive for it because we are driven by love, no matter if that love is positive or consuming. "..the final wish is love, cannot be better, cannot deny, cannot withhold if denied the weight is too heavy." In the if we deny our "love" for something the "burden of solititude" can becoming over bearing and self destructing.
I agree with what you're saying. I feel Ginsberg is trying to say that everything has a bad side or a complicated side, or can have its rough times. He's showing that everything in life is a burden, a "heavy weight" even love.
ReplyDeletesome good opening general statements. Now, consider the imagery in more detail--why the "weight" of love, under the "burden" of solitude? one weight and the other a burden--what's the difference? (Note that "solitude" is returned to in stanza seven--so "solitude" should not be seen as something negative or opposed to love. ). Also, what is the "dissatisfaction" noted as a seperate burden--dissatisfied with what?--but also, perhaps there is a relationship bet. the two burdens? Love is described as a "weight we carry"--how does that characterize this love? It's also a weight we carry "wearily"? why? what has this to do with an "obsession wigh angels / or machines"? are these different sorts of obsessions? what's the similarity bet. them? ALso, what sort of love is this? note the speaker says it must be given "for no return" Also, consider the imagery of the last two stanzas. Is it possible the speaker is talking about different sorts of-- or different articulations of--love? in any case, try to deal with the tensions and ambituities of the imagery.
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