September 11th

In remembrance of September 11, my class read "Try to Praise the Mutilated World". This Adam Zagajweski poem is absolutely astounding.

The majority of my class felt that the tone of the poem was sad, sarcastic, or one of pleading/urgency. Most seemed to feel that the poem was saying that in the midst of all the bad in the world, the only good was the small things. I, however, felt that the poem was very optimistic. To me, the phrase 'try to praise the mutilated work' means look for the beauty in a world that isn't always beautiful.

I don't believe that the poem was saying the only good left in the world is small things.... but if one takes good from the little things, everything else gets better. For example, the strawberries in the poem.... just remembering the taste of freshly-picked strawberries can put a smile on one's face... and then if something every better happens.... say, you see an old friend that you haven't seen in 5 years.... you can appreciate it, and take great joy from it.