"Laughter and grief join hands. Always the heart Clumps in the breast with heavy stride; The face grows lined and wrinkled like a chart, The eyes bloodshot with tears and tide. Let the wind blow, for many a man shall die"
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Karl Shapiro's quote poignantly checks out the detailed interaction between laughter and grief, capturing the duality of human experience. The opening line, "Laughter and grief join hands", right away sets the stage for this expedition, recommending that joy and grief are inextricably connected, typically occurring side by side in life's tapestry. This personification evokes a sense of unity between opposites, as if one can not completely exist without the other.
The subsequent line, "Always the heart clumps in the breast with heavy stride", even more explores the psychological weight brought within human hearts. Making use of the word "clumps" suggests a sense of problem, as if the heart, a symbol of feeling and vigor, has a hard time under the pressure of life's complexities. This heaviness is not fleeting but constant, denoting the continuous impact of sorrow on the human spirit.
Shapiro's images continues with a vivid description of aging: "The face grows lined and wrinkled like a chart". Life's experiences, marked by both laughter and sadness, etch themselves onto the skin, mapping an individual's journey in a manner comparable to a chart. This metaphor stresses the visible signs of time and emotion, recommending that each line and wrinkle narrates of its own, formed by the dual forces of delight and sorrow.
The line "The eyes bloodshot with tears and tide" vividly catches the physical symptoms of emotional turmoil. Bloodshot eyes are typically connected with sobbing and fatigue, additional enhancing the style of enduring difficulty. Tears, together with the metaphorical tide, suggest an ebb and flow, akin to the highs and lows of life.
Lastly, Shapiro's invite to "Let the wind blow, for numerous a man shall die" serves as a sobering suggestion of life's transience. The wind, frequently symbolic of change and the passage of time, highlights the inevitability of death. This poignant conclusion invites reflection on the fleeting nature of life, where laughter and grief are ever-present companions along the journey towards mortality.
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