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Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained | |||
In "Of Being Numerous: 8," George Oppen engages with the concept of "amor fati," a Latin phrase meaning "love of fate," which was notably championed by the philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche. This idea of accepting and embracing one's fate plays a central role in the poem, as Oppen reflects on the interplay between individual destiny and the broader, often indifferent, movements of the world, particularly within the context of the city. The poem begins with the phrase "Amor fati / The love of fate," setting the philosophical tone right from the outset. "Amor fati" suggests an acceptance of life as it is, with all its challenges and uncertainties, and a love for the necessity and inevitability of fate. It is a call to embrace whatever life brings, without resistance or regret. Oppen then positions the city as the "audience" for this love of fate: "For which the city alone / Is audience." Here, the city represents the collective human environment, a place where individual destinies play out amidst the lives of many others. The city, as an audience, is both witness and participant in the unfolding of fate. It is where the dramas of life—success, failure, joy, suffering—are observed, and where the acceptance of one's destiny might be tested or reinforced. However, Oppen's use of "perhaps blasphemous" suggests that embracing one's fate within the context of the city might be seen as a challenge to or deviation from conventional beliefs, particularly in a world where people often strive to control or resist their destinies. The poem then shifts to a broader, almost cosmic perspective: "Slowly over islands, destinies / Moving steadily pass / And change." This imagery of destinies passing over islands evokes a sense of the inevitability and continuity of fate, as if these destinies are like weather patterns moving across the landscape, indifferent to the individual lives they touch. The "thin sky / Over islands" suggests a fragile, almost insubstantial connection between the heavens (or fate) and the earth (or human experience). The use of "islands" also hints at the isolation of individual lives, each one separated by its own boundaries, yet all subject to the same overarching forces. Oppen continues by focusing on the passage of time: "Among days / Having only the force / Of days." Here, he reflects on the simplicity and ordinariness of time's passage, where each day has no more significance than simply being a day. Yet, this simplicity is also its power; the relentless, unremarkable progression of time shapes destinies as surely as any dramatic event. This recognition of the "force of days" underscores the poem's theme of accepting the everyday as an essential part of one's fate. The poem concludes with a juxtaposition of simplicity and difficulty: "Most simple / Most difficult." This line captures the paradox at the heart of "amor fati." While it might seem straightforward to accept life as it comes, without resistance, this acceptance can also be profoundly challenging. To love one's fate—to truly embrace all aspects of life, both good and bad—is both the simplest and the most difficult task of all. "Of Being Numerous: 8" is a meditation on the acceptance of fate and the complexities of living within the context of the city, where individual destinies are played out in the public sphere. Through the concept of "amor fati," Oppen invites readers to reflect on the nature of destiny, the passage of time, and the challenge of finding meaning and peace in the midst of life's inevitable changes. The poem's language, while spare, is rich with philosophical resonance, encouraging a contemplation of how we relate to the forces that shape our lives and the environments in which we live.
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