Hiding emotions: lessons from the past Essay

While it is true that emotions separate humans from beasts, it cannot be denied that emotions are also the reason behind the unprecedented fall of every man and woman. It is the ability to feel that has allowed the wisest kings and greatest generals to experience the bitter consequences of failure and defeat. Indeed, emotions can turn into a great liability. It is for this reason that A. E Houseman warned the reader about the dangers and pitfalls of dwelling too much on one’s feelings. On a closer observation of the poem, its over-all theme provides a preview of how emotions transforms into a cunning foe. It also renders an explanation on how experience functions as mankind’s greatest teacher. This is something that cannot be merely equated to articulating and remembering the painful memories of a lost love. On a closer analysis, the poem’s persona is an adult that initially reminisces the frivolity of his or her youth. Under this context, it can be observed that the author expressed age in a different manner. Instead of directly stating â€Å"twenty-one,† the author stated â€Å"one and twenty. † Yet, it can be argued that such style was not merely used to showcase a polished rhyme scheme. Far beyond that, this technique adds to the artistic and creative integrity of the poem. But more than anything else, it can be seen that twenty one (21) connotes deeper meanings. More often than not, twenty-one signifies the time or period in one’s life wherein he or she can do almost everything. In many countries, this is considered as the legal age. Along with age, confidence and self-esteem grow. Because of these, many individuals tend to be overly impulsive and let their emotions govern them, without taking into consideration, the possible implications or effects that their respective actions may produce. In the poem, the lines â€Å"Give crowns and pounds and guineas; But not your heart away,† serves as a piece of advice or even a warning sign for that matter about the dangers of being too emotional. On a deeper context, the heart symbolizes the emotions or sentiments that each and every individual feel. Oftentimes, the heart as a symbol is used to refer to romantic relationships. But then again, there are different kinds of emotions that the heart feels. It can range from passionate love to extreme anger. Therefore, if an individual allows his or her emotion, he or she could be trapped in uncompromising situations. Somehow, the poem does not encourage its readers from being too transparent. Under real-life scenarios, it can be readily observed that many have suffered, not only because they are too focused on their emotions, but also because they enabled other individuals to see their motives and intentions. There is no doubt that emotions are capable of reflecting one’s strength and weaknesses, which, in return, can lead to the destruction of their lives. In this aspect, it is also important to note that the heart is one of the most important organs in one’s body. Therefore, to freely give it away, as the poem suggests, is synonymous to ending one’s life. This is something that cannot be immediately replaced compared to valuable materials such as crowns, pounds, guineas, pearls and rubies that were mentioned in the poem. The ability to hide one’s emotion is further supported by the lines â€Å"The heart out of the bosom; Was never given in vain; Tis paid with sighs a-plenty; And sold for endless rue. † In here, the heart or the emotion is presented as if it is a big secret. The phrase â€Å"out of the bosom,† thus denotes the unveiling or revelation of the secret which can result to regrets and resentment. On the other hand, the persona also speaks of how he or she has learned from experience. The â€Å"wise man† symbolizes â€Å"experience. † More often than not, the lessons in life are not fully understood or given much importance not unless an individual goes through it. Along with age and experience, an individual becomes wiser and careful about the decisions that he or she makes. This is something that the persona has ultimately learned. The persona went through the consequences of revealing his or her emotions—the persona was put into the hot waters when he or she heavily relied on his or her feelings and because of this, his or her experience provided lessons in life that cannot be discounted. The last line â€Å"And oh, tis true, tis true,† does not necessarily equate to regrets, but more of an affirmation of the lessons imbibe