“Out, Out -”

This is my first blog post – hope it goes somewhat well.

Anybody doing the Leaving Cert for 2011 should recognize the title, maybe even those who have read Macbeth. I’ve become more interested in English classes as of starting 5th Year. Up until my Junior Cert, I had a good yet verrrrrry boring English teacher. He speaks in a deep monotone – the falling asleep of students in 3rd year while in his class was not unheard of (if not even regular). My new teacher makes everything animated – I barely notice the 45 minutes passing. He manages to make poems interesting, which is a pretty hard thing do…

We even started debating the meaning of the title of a poem up into philosophical meanings.

The title of “Out, Out -” by Robert Frost contains so much more than what it seems to be. It is a quote from Macbeth by Shakespeare. Macbeth is very deep in his depression.

“Out, Out brief candle; life’s but a waking shadow, a poor player that struts and frets his hour upon the stage, and then is heard no more: it is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.”

That quote has one of the deepest meaning of any part of Shakespeare’s works. Life is as fragile as a candle. It both easily be started and easily ended. Everyone thinks that they are the centre of the world – everything revolves around you. Yet many people waste all their opportunities to make any real contribution to the world – because of what other people will think if it goes wrong. Yet think about it; if it fails the word may spread; but where to? It probably won’t go further than your town or city. How big is your town or city compared to the whole country?  How big is this country – it’s only a tiny nation hanging on the west of Europe.

- Most People overrate their importance.

Too Many people just get born and die – “life’s a waking shadow, a poor player [actor] … frets his hour upon the stage”. Shakespeare tells us too many people waste their life on this planet.

The truth had to come out. How many opportunities did you not take in life. Did you many even regret some of them. Sometime in life people will always get chance to improve humanity – and get remembered for it.

Take it.

Image (cc) Photine