Analysis of The Cloister Walk by Norris Kathleen and Essential Dickinson by Dickinson Emily - Book Report/Review Example

“I have lately realized that what went wrong for me in my Christian upbringing is centered in the belief that one had to be dressed up, both outwardly and inwardly, to meet God, the insidious notion that I need to be a firm and even cheerful believer before I dare show my face in “His” church” (Norris 161). This notion of having joy in faith and the attribution of purity is something that takes away the authenticity that one may have over religion. The mass in itself is considered as a celebration that there is almost no room for negativity in it as an affair. The failure to recognize the hard realities of life and what goes in a person’s daily struggles is often what makes religion difficult to relate to. There is a disconnect between what occurs inside the church where someone has to show the appearance of being ‘dressed up’ and the turmoil that could actually be happening deep inside a person. Many have undergone the process of leading a spiritual life through childhood when all that one has to do is follow the directions of their parents. This obedience that comes with being the son or daughter of a person of the church might undergo a process of transition especially during one’s teenage life. This is a challenging phase that self-conflict could be inevitable. When the innocence of a child is no longer a fact of one’s existence, the self-conflict could lead to withdrawal from the church. The Psalms shows a seeming similarity in this struggle. Many deviate from the Psalms where questioning of God’s presence is a common theme. Rather than being a theme that is sheltered and kept from a distance, these elements must be revealed and considered. “You build a world in what you say,” she said. “Words- as I speak or hear them- make a path on which I walk” (Norris 257). Words are powerful. In this entry titled the War on Metaphor, Norris provides an insight on how the clergy could have a misleading attitude on veering away from metaphors. The difference between poets and clergy, as the author puts it, is the belief on metaphors and its power on the audience. The effect that words could have on our existence is beyond our own grasp. Religion is founded upon the words of God. It is upon the utterances that directly came from him the men are guided in how they should live their lives and how they should interact with one another. The Bible is the source of God’s teachings and his promise to His people. By the word of God we are saved. The scriptures serve as the foundation of faith. Thus, it is in our own interpretations that we become closer to these utterances. How they are reflected by each individual, and, in how they are delivered by men who are in the service of Him. The most influential people the world has ever seen had one similar weapon on which they rely on, their ability to effect change based on their words. The maxim that the pen is mightier than the sword seems frivolous but it is nevertheless true. The world that we live in is founded upon words. This same contemplation must be implemented in our lives. The words that we say to others and to ourselves and those that we write will make up our world. It is up to us to see to it that we build a world of substance rather than of noise. Dickinson, “67”: Success is counted sweetest By those who ne’er succeed. To comprehend a nectar Requires sorest need. (1-4) Success is built on a longing but it must also be coupled with hard work. When we were little we were always told that we can do anything we set our minds to. The degree of determination that we pour into something has a direct connection to how much faith we have that those we work for are possible. Success without actually striving for it is nothing more than an empty victory. Some things come easy to others while it is harder for some. But never actually trying is the emptiest feeling of all. “What do you seek?” is a question for many monastic disciplines including the Benedictine tradition as Norris shares (491). These four simple words seem so simple yet the question itself is so profound it is almost impossible to answer categorically. All of us seek different things in different aspects of our life. We want something for our family life, another for our career, something else for our personal concerns, and a different one for our spiritual life. We seek contentment but oftentimes we are never contented. Everyone wants success. It is a form of validation that we have achieved something for ourselves and perhaps for the people we love. The same could come in varied forms and diverse degrees. Success in one aspect of our lives does not necessarily mean the same for others. It is subjective and it could make or break us if it is not coupled with guidance. When we become overwhelmed by everything that is happening in our lives, the question “What do you seek?” could lead us back to the path we really need to take rather than the one we want to have. Dickinson, “254”: “Hope” is the thing with feathers– That perches in the soul– And sings the tune without the words– And never stops – at all –. (1-4) Emily Dickinson puts such an elusive yet captivating description of what hope is. Hope is a part and parcel of life. It is what wakes us up in the morning to remind us of the possibilities of the day ahead, and, it is what lulls us back to sleep at night with the promise that tomorrow will be a better day and that the day that passed was what God meant it to be. Without hope, we are placed into a blank existence without direction or purpose. Like a bird which is free from restriction and inhibition, hope prowls in our soul and there it finds its home where we could either nourish or ignore it. But no matter how much effort we put in turning a blind eye to our hopes and dreams, they will always find a way to make their presence known. Hope makes us human because it allows us to dream and to find a reason for the things that happen and the potential that could become a reality. It never stops, as the poem puts it. In the last stanza of the poem, the persona relates how hope is present everywhere whether land or sea. In the news today, there are people devastated by calamities or tragedies but they are still able to move on. It is quite difficult to put into words the hardships that some may suffer but they continue with their lives and rebuild from what is lost. This is mainly because of hope that even in its abstract is a compelling force that could move anyone to believe that great things could come. Works Cited Dickinson, Emily. Essential Dickinson. Ed. Joyce Carol Oates. New York: HarperCollins, 2006. Print. Norris, Kathleen. The Cloister Walk. New York: Riverhead Books, 1996. Kindle file. Read More