While I must admit that poetry has not always played a large role in inspiring or motivating my life, there are some notable exceptions. When I first began to be interested in poetry, I was introduced mainly through religious sources, like hymns, scriptures, and occasionally general conference talks. The most notable, or the one that had the greatest impact on me, was quoted at the end of a talk by Boyd K. Packer in October, 2009.
“With thoughtless and impatient hands,
We tangle up the plans the Lord has wrought,
And when we cry in pain He saith,
‘Be quiet, Man, while I untie the knot.’”
-Author Unkown
This poem, assumed to have been written by an LDS author, is written in a way that struck my heart at a crossroads type of moment in my own life. I was trying to figure out my future, and I was trying to decide if I wanted to serve a mission for the church. I was weighing the benefits, and trying to find out deep in my own heart if the values of the church were what I really believed in. I imagined what my life would be like if I chose not to go, and in my head I saw my life, tangled up and painful, as I tried to make things work on my own. I did not want my life to be a painful knot that the Lord would eventually have to untie, I aspired for something more, which is part of what motivated me to eventually go. This poem talks about following God’s plan, and how we unknowingly fight against it, trying to follow more selfish ambitions or trying to be more like those around us to fit in. The imagery of our life as a painful knot, that the Lord slowly tries to untie by trying to guide us down the right path is extremely powerful, and the iambic pattern and rhyme scheme make the sounds in this poem flow in an unusually smooth way. You could interpret the last line as a type of rebuke from the Lord, when he tells the man to be quiet, but in my own opinion, by asking us to be silent, what he actually means is for us to stop struggling, and to let ourselves be humble enough to be guided by his hand. That is the only way we can truly begin to untangle our lives when we make incorrect decisions or don’t do what we know is right.
Another piece of literature that I must mention comes from the hymnbook, more specifically hymn number 97, Lead Kindly Light. I first began to appreciate this hymn while I was on my mission, where it was called “Leid Vriendlijk Licht.” The message resonated a lot with me when I first took the time to let the lyrics sink in, my favorite verse is the first, where it says,
“Lead, kindly Light, amid th’encircling gloom;
Lead thou me on!
The night is dark, and I am far from home;
Lead thou me on!
Keep thou my feet; I do not ask to see
The distant scene—one step enough for me.”
This verse talks about having enough faith to keep going, even when all you can see is just one more step in front of you. I think that this message is applicable in so many ways, and is a powerful verse that speaks to the heart. There are elements of a couple poetic devices, like examples of end rhyme and alliteration, that help the song to flow and sound more poetic. The light is meant to be a symbol for Christ, or the Holy Ghost, that lead us through our lives and help us to determine what choices we should make. The darkness can be seen as life’s uncertainties, and the challenges and struggles that people go through. In the song it says, “I do not ask to see… one step enough for me.” I think those words are so significant, because the author is implying that they are putting their trust entirely in the Lord, and are willing to follow him no matter what. It is an impressive sign of faith that I think can serve as a good example of how we should try to live our lives. I remember many nights, biking through the South American jungles where I served, thinking or humming this song on our ride home. There were no streetlights, and the only place to ride bikes was by sharing the main roads that the cars used, so at night it was rare for me to feel very safe as we made our way home. This song was a comfort and a blessing during an otherwise stressful time, where I was just trying to get home safely.
The reason that both of these pieces have religious themes is because religion and church are what really got me interested in lyrics and poetry, and I’m not sure I would have nearly enough appreciation for them if I wasn’t introduced to them through the church, scriptures, and hymns. Up until this point in my life, I had always thought that poetry had a stuffy feel to it, and it never held any interest to me when I learned about it in school. I think there’s something about poetry and teenagers—especially guys—that just doesn’t mix. Perhaps it’s an inability to focus on things outside of your immediate friend group and ponder topics that are larger than your ego.
My last example comes from one of my favorite scriptures that has poetic elements. It’s in 2 Ne 4:28-30 where it says,
“Awake, my soul! No longer droop in sin. Rejoice, O my heart, and give place no more for the enemy of my soul.
Do not anger again because of mine enemies. Do not slacken my strength because of mine afflictions.
Rejoice, O my heart, and cry unto the Lord, and say: O Lord, I will praise thee forever; yea, my soul will rejoice in thee, my God, and the rock of my salvation.”
Here Nephi laments his state of being, and wishes to transcend the natural man in order to live a more righteous life. In this lamentation, there is almost a psalm or song like quality to his words. There is some repetition employed as he attempts to arouse his soul to live the laws of the gospel and grow closer to God. I see these verses as very motivational and inspirational, and I can relate to the position Nephi was in as he tried to improve and make himself better. He recognized his weaknesses in these verses, but despite them still wants to rise above and improve. What I find interesting is that there are actually lines in the poem that are iambic. The first line is completely and throughout the following verses a number of other examples can be pointed out. The reason I found strength in this lament by Nephi is because he acknowledges his imperfections, yet perseveres, and is still willing to completely devote himself to God. If there is one thing I sometimes struggle with, it is coping with my own imperfections. Even now, I find that I can be quite hard on myself when I don’t perform as well as I’d like or make a mistake. Like Nephi, I hope to be able to acknowledge that while I am not perfect, that does not mean that I can’t be successful as a disciple of Christ and still lead a meaningful and positive life.
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