nobody asked…

THERE IS A PLEASURE IN THE PATHLESS WOODS

by Lord Byron, (George Gordon)

There is a pleasure in the pathless woods,
There is a rapture on the lonely shore,
There is society, where none intrudes,
By the deep sea, and music in its roar:
I love not man the less, but Nature more,
From these our interviews, in which I steal
From all I may be, or have been before,
To mingle with the Universe, and feel
What I can ne’er express, yet cannot all conceal.

The first few lines of Lord Byron’s poem appeared on screen at the beginning of the movie, Into the Wild, which Roomie and I watched over the weekend. The film is based on a true story about a young man, Christopher McCandless, who died in the wilds of Alaska while seeking adventure, searching for himself, and probing for true meaning in and of his existence. This is a much better movie than I expected, and I do recommend it.

Reading and pondering the meaning of Lord Byron’s words brought to mind a couple of other writers who also sought their own individualistic experience and expression of life. In The Road Not Taken, Robert Frost addresses the value of independence and personal freedom in making choices at the forks in life’s road. And, of course, one cannot view the movie without thinking of Thoreau and his desire for simple living and self-reliance by embracing and becoming one with nature, as expressed in Walden.

Many other writers, philosophers, and thinkers over the centuries have expressed similar or companion notions that opt for freedom of the individual over the bonds and trappings of society and government. Whether it is labeled transcendental idealism, pragmatic existentialism, rational individualism, or some other construct of human seeking, there remains a strong romantic appeal to a simpler life free of the shackles of society.

Now, I must go to work because the mortgage is due again next month…