Ethics Linda Pastan

Ethics

Linda Pastan

USA (1932-)

Apply the four levels of meaning to “Ethics”

Literal Comprehension: This philosophical poem “Ethics” has been composed by a famous American poetess. Linda Pastan. As an old woman when she is in museum in front of a Rambranhth’s painting she recalls her past life. When she was young, in the ethics class, her teacher used to ask a question in every fall. The question in every fall. The question was if there were a fire in a museum which she would select to save a Rembrandt’s painting or an old woman. She was very careless and restless in the class with other students. They should select panting in one year and the old woman next. What was the meaning and sense of teacher was unknown to them. Once she answered what would be if the old woman was given a chance to answer. Then the teacher commented the poet to be les responsible. Now she finds the painting darker than autumn and winter. She also finds that there is equal value of life, art and the nature. She was not careful about such ethical value and she was young. The children can’t save these things because they will be captured by inevitable death.

Interpretation: This philosophical poem “Ethics” might be trying to focus on the ethical ideas about life. Death and nature. It has raised a serious question about art and life. Life, art and nature are interrelated subjects. Only a matured, experienced person (like present poet) can understand the real value of such things. Immature people i.e. children can’t be reasonable and serious about such ethical concepts, they don’t have patience, maturity and analytical views about anything. This was proved as the poet’s class students used to give the hasty answer of the philosophical question. It also might be trying to say that, if we are in confusion we can’t decide what is wrong and what is right. Like the two opposite seasons the shallowness of youth and depth of old age are presented in this poem contradictorily.

Critical Thinking: no doubt, the philosophical idea given in the poem is unquestionable. It has discussed about a complex moral concept and idea of life and death. The present state of the poet and her comparison of past has made the poem clear. The presentation of poem is simple but idea is very much difficult to understand. Still we can be disagreeing with the poet’s idea. Can children be noble without getting moral lessons? Shall we leave the children to be free as they wish? There must be proper check and balance and the moral lesson about life and art given to the children as well as grown up people.

Assimilation: After reading this poem I got a lesson of life. Before reading the poem I was not more serious about any problem. It used to be very careless about any question. I never understood value of old age. I also didn’t know the real meaning of life and art. By experience. Maturity and in depth understanding we can know the real ethics of life. The poem also reminded about my careless and surface behaviors about any serious subjects, which I was in school life.

c. What is worth: Life or Art?

Both life and art are equally important things because they can have complete meaning in relation to each other. Art is a representation of life more beautiful and charming way life is the main source from which fine art can be composed. For the complex meaning, we can’t differentiate between them. They are significant in amalgamation(mixture), Life is a state of getting a dynamic sets of experiences like happiness and sadness, success and failure, felling emotion, experiences etc. they get permanency where these elements of like are copied by art. We can give some examples like a painting of Monalisa that has made immortal girl. The song of Narayan Gopal “Eauta Manchheko Mayanle Kati Pharak pardachha Gindageema” is immortal. The Muna and Madan are ever living lover’s in short epic poem Munamadan by Laxmi Prasad Devkota. So, to have complete meaning there must be interrelation between life and art. Life is dull and always not charming without copying the raw materials from the life. Thus on the basic of short above-mentioned discussion we can conclude that both life and art are equally worthwhile and the value is relative but not in isolation.