Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"Course of a Life" by Yehuda Amichai is a reflective poem that traverses the journey of life through the lens of religious and existential experiences. Amichai, a renowned Israeli poet, is known for his ability to blend the personal with the universal, and in this poem, he explores the different stages of life, each stage marked by a distinct religious metaphor.

The poem begins with the image of circumcision, a Jewish ritual performed on the eighth day of a male infant's life. This act, which introduces the infant to "pain without words," symbolizes the entrance into a life of religious and cultural identity, as well as the inevitability of pain and suffering.

In childhood, the poet imagines being a Catholic, drawn to the "dances of ritual" and the "splendor of fear." This stage reflects a time of innocence and fascination with the ritualistic and the mysterious aspects of religion. The mention of fear and sin hints at the duality of attraction and dread that religious doctrines often evoke.

As the poem progresses, Amichai describes the teenage years, a time of questioning and rebellion, where one "believes in nothing and loves everything." This period is characterized by a worship of the worldly – idols, stars, girls, hope, despair – capturing the intense emotions and the search for meaning typical of youth.

The transition to adulthood is marked by a comparison to Protestantism, symbolizing pragmatism, commerce, and the complexities of adult life. This phase is about the “toughening” of the individual, dealing with the realities of the world, symbolized by the "wheeling and dealing" of commerce.

After midnight, the poem suggests, everyone becomes a "muezzin of his own life," a reference to the Islamic call to prayer. This metaphor speaks to the introspection and existential questioning that often come in the quiet, solitary moments of life. It's a cry about the "failure of flesh and blood," reflecting the deep human longing and existential angst.

As life moves towards its twilight years, the poet describes a return to Judaism, likened to being "served up on a white pillow to the sandak" (the person who holds a baby during a circumcision). This imagery suggests a full circle, returning to the origins, to the rituals and beliefs of one's birth, and a submission to the inevitability of life's end.

The poem concludes with the last eight days of life, compared to the first eight, but now without consciousness, knowledge, or belief, like "any animal, like any stone, like any happy fly." This ending portrays the departure from life as a return to a state of primal, unburdened existence, free from the complexities of human consciousness and belief.

Throughout the poem, Amichai uses religious metaphors to explore the journey of life, from birth to death, and the various existential and spiritual stages in between. The poem reflects on the human condition, the quest for meaning, and the inevitable return to simplicity and oblivion at life's end.

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