Integration vs. Immolation
– After J. Campbell & J.R.R. Tolkien
Dismemberment is easy
(to find). You don’t need
philosophers & critics to write it
all out. The hero’s journey
doesn’t even exist, until
ripped apart, broken down,
stripped of crutch, you find
you cannot walk—so you learn
(you choose)
to hobble
onto the path.
No one is going to
(no one could)
make you.
Cliffs at his back, the beauty
of the Fool is he cannot
imagine a World
without Towers.
Like the man who inherited
a field, chock full
of old stone—built himself
a home. & a tower.
Oh, the world will knock
us over, will huff & will puff
to blow it all down.
This is simply the way
of (this) world. But we
can be (re)made
of a higher order
of mettle.
A hero is a hero
not because he is dismembered—
not even because he faces the trials.
A hero is a hero
because he faces himself—
takes a bath in the ashes—
& sets his life
on fire.
22 thoughts on "Integration vs. Immolation"
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“ A man inherited a field in which was an accumulation of old stone, part of an older hall. Of the old stone some had already been used in building the house in which he actually lived, not far from the old house of his fathers. Of the rest he took some and built a tower. But his friends coming perceived at once (without troubling to climb the steps) that these stones had formerly belonged to a more ancient building. So they pushed the tower over, with no little labour, and in order to look for hidden carvings and inscriptions, or to discover whence the man’s distant forefathers had obtained their building material. Some suspecting a deposit of coal under the soil began to dig for it, and forgot even the stones. They all said: ‘This tower is most interesting.’ But they also said (after pushing it over): ‘What a muddle it is in!’ And even the man’s own descendants, who might have been expected to consider what he had been about, were heard to murmur: ‘He is such an odd fellow! Imagine using these old stones just to build a nonsensical tower! Why did not he restore the old house? he had no sense of proportion.’ But from the top of that tower the man had been able to look out upon the sea.”
J.R.R. Tolkien, Beowulf and the Critics (Medieval & Renaissance Texts & Studies, Vol. 248)
Oh, Joseph. Another exquisite poem. You give us sonny h to consider on our own journeys.
This is my favorite part:
“A hero is a hero
because he faces himself—
takes a bath in the ashes—
& sets his life
on fire.”
My soul burns for this kind of writing.
Thank you for sharing. ♥️
Mrs. Spinelli,
🔥🔥🔥 thank you!
*so much
Not *sonny h
Autocorrect switched over to a dear friend’s name. Ha!
I was going to say, I wouldn’t feel tight giving poor Sonny away 😉 :p
Ha!
A lot to consider, Big wow.
:). Thank you, Linda
(Or she 😍) Joseph – A beautiful poem with a great ending. Love these lines.
The hero’s journey
doesn’t even exist, until
ripped apart, broken down,
stripped of crutch
Ahhh, yes.
Autobiographical error.
Ruin the line if I say They/themselves?
Like…
“Heroes are heroes
because they face themselves—
take a bath in the ashes—
& set their lives
on fire.”
Only wonder if it messes with the (singular/isolation) enjambment of “sets his life”
Thank you, Sylvia!
Believe me, I understand the dilemma! This is a “he” poem. I just wanted to state for the record that heroes can be she as well (which I’m sure you know and appreciate!).
And, for the record, I wouldn’t change anything. Beautiful as is.
Absolutely.
As my poem from a few days ago attempts to sing! 💙🔥
The alternate Heroine’s Journey, that’s come out recently, btw, is stupendous. And in many ways, so much more interesting than Campbell’s Hero (though building on it).
❤
💙
Your work has risen to a crescendo of delight. thank you.
☺️ thank you, K. Bruce
🌞🌞🌞 extraordinary! Your best yet?
How do these possibly keep getting better and better? 😮🙃📚
*blush*
Mythical, mystical, memorable!
Thank you!