Love, Mini Chocolate Eggs, Happiness, and Dante Mountain Dew - Zelda Peach
So far, I have really enjoyed reading the Inferno. It has a different style than I am used to for an epic poem, but it is well thought out and planned as far as I can tell. It is much less dramatic than the epics I have read thus far such as Paradise Lost or the Aeneid. Whereas these other epics have drastic and hero like characters, the Inferno does not, it is much more subtle. There is no one character I feel particularly tired too or found off. The whole book just reads differently. Anyways, enough about the layout of the book here is something I found interesting.
In Canto five when Dante and Virgil visit the second circle of the "lustful", they meet two people named Paolo and Francesca. These two when alive were adulterous lovers who were murdered. Upon meeting and hearing their story, Dante asks Francesca "how did it happen, what made love give way that you should know the truth of your desires?" (Canto 5, lines 119-120) and she then replied, "There is no greater grief than to recall a time of happiness while plunged in misery" (Canto 5, lines 121-123). I found this question and answer fascinating, for to me, it asks the question - Is it better to have never known love or happiness than to have had it and lost it? Personally, I do not think I can answer that question. One could argue that losing love is the worst because you know what is missing and therefore to have never known it in the first place would be best. But on the other hand, one could say that never having known love is the greatest tragedy of all and that having it at least for a little while is better than never. To explain my personal view on this subject, I am going to use a silly analogy involving mountain dew and mini chocolate eggs. If you know me personally then you know that I have a really bad addiction to sugar, particularly soda and candy. For this reason, I have never let myself drink mountain dew because I know that it is really sugary and I would probably get addicted to it. In this situation, I am scared to try it in fear that I then have to know what it is that I am missing. I think that one could argue this position about love, but then again love and mountain dew are very different things. But who knows, I am heavily addicted to Cadbury Milk Chocolate Mini Eggs and I never plan to stop eating those. In the mini eggs situation, I would much rather remember their amazingness and never get to eat one again than never have been exposed to their sheer greatness in the first place. I think that one has to answer this question about love and happiness in their own way. Are you going to treat it as can of mountain dew or a bag of mini chocolate eggs?
Sophia and AnnaKate
In Canto five when Dante and Virgil visit the second circle of the "lustful", they meet two people named Paolo and Francesca. These two when alive were adulterous lovers who were murdered. Upon meeting and hearing their story, Dante asks Francesca "how did it happen, what made love give way that you should know the truth of your desires?" (Canto 5, lines 119-120) and she then replied, "There is no greater grief than to recall a time of happiness while plunged in misery" (Canto 5, lines 121-123). I found this question and answer fascinating, for to me, it asks the question - Is it better to have never known love or happiness than to have had it and lost it? Personally, I do not think I can answer that question. One could argue that losing love is the worst because you know what is missing and therefore to have never known it in the first place would be best. But on the other hand, one could say that never having known love is the greatest tragedy of all and that having it at least for a little while is better than never. To explain my personal view on this subject, I am going to use a silly analogy involving mountain dew and mini chocolate eggs. If you know me personally then you know that I have a really bad addiction to sugar, particularly soda and candy. For this reason, I have never let myself drink mountain dew because I know that it is really sugary and I would probably get addicted to it. In this situation, I am scared to try it in fear that I then have to know what it is that I am missing. I think that one could argue this position about love, but then again love and mountain dew are very different things. But who knows, I am heavily addicted to Cadbury Milk Chocolate Mini Eggs and I never plan to stop eating those. In the mini eggs situation, I would much rather remember their amazingness and never get to eat one again than never have been exposed to their sheer greatness in the first place. I think that one has to answer this question about love and happiness in their own way. Are you going to treat it as can of mountain dew or a bag of mini chocolate eggs?
Sophia and AnnaKate
I noted this too when reading Canto Five. I think I would rather know love and then lose it than to not at all. We also should probably define love to answer your question, but in the general sense, I think love is worth the risk and worth remembering. For instance, I know someone who found out they were adopted after their birth father died. In that situation, they would have by far rather have been able to love their father and then miss him after his death than to not have ever truly known and loved him, as is the case.
ReplyDeleteI personally side with the mountain dew. Having loved and lost a few times I can say from experience that if you let it, loss can be its own hell. Every moment you catch yourself thinking of cadbury eggs but you know that those eggs don't think of you like that anymore. Its this cold turkey stop that causes a desire that you know cant be filled. This desire is the worst feeling in the world. Now learning what its like to not have mountain dew life is much better because while i do have the occasional craving I realize that I should check myself before drinking Mountain Dew or else it may turn into another Cadbury egg. Honestly, you don't need either one, life is sweet without love or sugar.
ReplyDeleteI am going to have to side with Moriah on this one. I would much rather have loved and lost than to have never loved at all. How could one not need love? What is life without love? If one was referring to a romantic relationship, then yes, that is not needed for a happy life, but to live without love all together, is that even possible? And what would be the point of living without love?
ReplyDelete-Madison Flowers
I wrote on Cantos Five as well, although you brought a completely different perspective to it than I did. I have to say that I can relate to you, though. I was in a "relationship" when I was 16 with a guy I had known since I was born. We had talked occasionally about what a life together would look like, kids' names, and how we wanted our lives to look... and then I was ghosted. To find out exactly a moth later (Valentine's Day) that it's because he had started an official relationship with another girl. So I still cannot look at pictures of them together even though they've been married for awhile now, as it reminds me of the late night talks and silly or deep conversations and building I had done with him. I mean, you still won't see me play many card games or pool because that was his favorite. So I almost have to say that never experiencing something is better than having to deal with the heartbreak of having something and losing it... because even when you know it wasn't the right path or the best route for you, part of ya never quite heals from heartbreak.
ReplyDeleteBeing the one in Honors who has been married and divorced before, it is much better to love and lose. Going through that nightmare, I saw the worst of humanity in my ex but also in myself. However, I also found the best of humanity through it. I met a pastor who turned me back to a good path, I became determined to do better for myself, and I am currently dating (planning to marry) the most amazing woman I have ever met. If you never experience things, you cannot fully appreciate them. That's just wisdom from a guy who's been out in the world. Life is too short to live in a bubble.
ReplyDeleteI think that the question of loving and losing or never loving at all is an empirical one and that there is no reason to assume that there is a universal answer that applies to all people and things. Some people may find the pain of separation to be too great to handle, while others find it easier to deal with. I may never be able to afford to constantly travel around the world, but that doesn't mean that I don't want to visit another country. On the other hand, recreational drugs may make for an interesting experience, but most (or at least a lot of) people are not willing to risk the possibility of addiction, side effects, cost, etc. that come with trying even once. So the answer to the question depends on a subjective judgement that varies from person to person.
ReplyDelete