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The art of losing isnt hard to master; so many things seem filled with the intent to be lost that their loss is no disaster (lines 1 - 3). In order to understand the meaning of the poem One Art, its opening lines provide the foundation for the whole. Due to the fact that so many things intent to be lost it should not seem disastrous when they are actually lost, yet somehow it still is a disaster. The paradox of this statement is evident by a combination of the poems opening and closing lines. The opening lines seem to say that when something follows its nature its intent it is not a disaster and should, therefore, not be viewed as one. Yet the closing lines, Even losing you Its evident the art of losings not too hard to master though it may look like (Write it! ) like disaster (lines 16 - 19), contradict the opening lines because the speaker is trying to convince his or herself of the truth of the paradox that it is not a disaster to lose a person if he or she intended to be lost.
The progression of increased value of things lost continues to contribute to the poems paradoxical meaning by beginning with items of little value lost door keyshourplacesnames, increasing to items of greater value mothers watchhousescitiesriverscontinent, ultimately ending with the loss of the most value person (lines 5, 8. 10, 11, 13, 14, 16). This shows that the speaker is trying to desensitize him or herself to loss. In other words, if he or she considers all the other losses in life that were not disasters, it will make this loss of a person not a disaster but paradoxically it still is disastrous. The meaning also becomes clear though the speakers mantra evident in the rhyming and repetition of disaster and master. In stanzas 1, 3, 5, and 6, the speaker ends with the word disaster.
In stanzas 1, 2, 4 and 6, the speaker uses the phrase the art of losing isnt hard to master. This creates a kind of mantra that a person would likely use to convince him or herself of something that he or she does not really believe. It is as if the speaker believes that if he or she tells him or herself that it is not hard to master losing enough times then losing will not be a disaster no matter what value is placed on the item lost. There is a connotative meaning in the opening statement so many things seem filled with the intent to be lost that their loss is no disaster that goes beyond the mere denotative meaning of the sentence. At first, the statement could be taken as a statement of fact but when added to the paradox and mantra it takes on greater significance by implying that even though something or someone may be simply following their nature, it does not negate the possibility for disastrous consequences. The speaker is attempting to accept a loss that he or she regrets by first accepting the loss of less significant things.
He or she even suggests practicing losing in order to accept loss and thus eliminate the disaster of regret. Lose something every day. Accept the fluster (line 4). This conflict of acceptance and regret is never quite resolved for the speaker because he or she has to force him or herself to (Write it! ) (line 19). But in the end, this brings unity to the poem. All the elements of paradox, progression, rhyming, repetition, connotative meaning, and conflict bring the meaning full circle solidifying the poems unity.
The unity is seen in the paradox itself. There are some losses to great to accept without regret or disaster regardless of the intent of the lost item / person . The speaker is saying, ironically, that no matter how much of a master of loss one becomes disaster can still result. The progression brings the speaker from denotative meaning to connotative meaning.
And the rhyming and repetition show that the speaker is in conflict with him or herself again unifying the poem. All of which points to the ultimate meaning of the poem that some losses are disasters regardless of how much one prepares for them.
Free research essays on topics related to: meaning of the poem, disaster, opening lines, losing, speaker
Research essay sample on Critical Analysis Of One Art Poem
