EXISTENCE,CONSIDEREDINITSELF,NOBLESSING

existence,consideredinitself,noblessing

fromthelatinofpalingenius

(1832)

thepoet,afteraseemingapprovalofsuicide,fromaconsiderationofthecaresandcrimesoflife,finallyrejectingit,discussesthenegativeimportanceofexistence,contemplatedinitself,withoutreferencetogoodorevil.

ofthesesadtruthsconsiderationhad—

thoushaltnotfeartoquitthisworldsomad,

sowicked;butthetenetratherhold

ofwisecalanus,andhisfollowersold,

whowiththeirownwillstheirownfreedomwrought,

andbyself-slaughtertheirdismissalsought

fromthisdarkdenofcrime—thishorridlair

ofmen,thatsavagerthanmonstersare;

andscorninglonger,inthistangledmesh

ofills,towaitonperishableflesh,

didwiththeirdesperatehandsanticipate

thetoo,tooslowreliefoflingeringfate.

andifreligiondidnotstaythinehand,

andgod,andplato'swisebehests,withstand,

iwouldinlikecasecounseltheetothrow

thissenselessburdenoff,ofcaresbelow.

notwine,aswine,menchoose,butasitcame

fromsuchorsuchavintage:'tisthesame

withlife,whichsimplymustbeunderstood

ablacknegation,ifitbenotgood.

butif'tiswretchedall—asmendecline

andloaththesourleesofcorruptedwine—

'tissotobecontemn'd.merelytobe

isnotaboontoseek,norilltoflee,

seeingthateveryvilestlittlething

hasitincommon,fromagnat'ssmallwing,

acreepingworm,downtothemovelessstone,

andcrumblingbarkfromtrees.unlesstobe,

andtobeblest,beone,idonotsee

inbareexistence,asexistence,aught

that'sworthytobeloved,ortobesought.