Question
you must live with great seriousness
like a squirrel, for example—
I mean, without looking for something beyond and above living,
I mean living must be your whole life.
Living is no laughing matter:
you must take it seriously,
so much so and to such a degree
that, for example, your hands tied behind your back,
your back to the wall,
or else in a laboratory
in your white coat and safety glasses,
you can die for people—
even for people whose faces you’ve never seen,
even though you know living
is the most real, the most beautiful thing.
I mean, you must take living so seriously
that even at seventy, for example, you’ll plant olive trees—
and not for your children, either,
but because although you fear death you don’t believe it,
because living, I mean, weighs heavier.
II
Let’s say we’re seriously ill, need surgery—
which is to say we might not get up
from the white table.
Even though it’s impossible not to feel sad
about going a little too soon,
we’ll still laugh at the jokes being told,
we’ll look out the window to see it’s raining,
or still wait anxiously
for the latest newscast...
Let’s say we’re at the front—
for something worth fighting for, say.
There, in the first offensive, on that very day,
we might fall on our face, dead.
We’ll know this with a curious anger,
but we’ll still worry ourselves to death
about the outcome of war, which could last years.
Let’s say we’re in prison
and close to fifty,
and we have eighteen more years, say,
before the iron doors will open. We’ll still live with the outside,
with its people and animals, struggle and wind—
I mean with the outside beyond the walls.
I mean, however and wherever we are,
we must live as if we will never die.
III
This earth will grow cold,
a star among stars
and one of the smallest,
a gilded mote on blue velvet—
I mean this, our great earth.
This earth will grow cold one day,
not like a block of ice
or a dead cloud even
but like an empty walnut it will roll along
in pitch-black space...
You must grieve for this right now
—you have to feel this sorrow now—
for the world must be loved this much
if you’re going to say “I 11 The words “weighs heavier” (line 21) imply that (1) aging is a challenge (2) family is a burden (3) the future is impossible to predict (4) life is a greater responsibility than death 12 Lines 38 through 46 illustrate the narrator’s belief that prison (1) prevents the full understanding of life (2) confines the body but should not confine the spirit (3) demands many years but should not lead to death (4) leads to the acceptance of death
like a squirrel, for example—
I mean, without looking for something beyond and above living,
I mean living must be your whole life.
Living is no laughing matter:
you must take it seriously,
so much so and to such a degree
that, for example, your hands tied behind your back,
your back to the wall,
or else in a laboratory
in your white coat and safety glasses,
you can die for people—
even for people whose faces you’ve never seen,
even though you know living
is the most real, the most beautiful thing.
I mean, you must take living so seriously
that even at seventy, for example, you’ll plant olive trees—
and not for your children, either,
but because although you fear death you don’t believe it,
because living, I mean, weighs heavier.
II
Let’s say we’re seriously ill, need surgery—
which is to say we might not get up
from the white table.
Even though it’s impossible not to feel sad
about going a little too soon,
we’ll still laugh at the jokes being told,
we’ll look out the window to see it’s raining,
or still wait anxiously
for the latest newscast...
Let’s say we’re at the front—
for something worth fighting for, say.
There, in the first offensive, on that very day,
we might fall on our face, dead.
We’ll know this with a curious anger,
but we’ll still worry ourselves to death
about the outcome of war, which could last years.
Let’s say we’re in prison
and close to fifty,
and we have eighteen more years, say,
before the iron doors will open. We’ll still live with the outside,
with its people and animals, struggle and wind—
I mean with the outside beyond the walls.
I mean, however and wherever we are,
we must live as if we will never die.
III
This earth will grow cold,
a star among stars
and one of the smallest,
a gilded mote on blue velvet—
I mean this, our great earth.
This earth will grow cold one day,
not like a block of ice
or a dead cloud even
but like an empty walnut it will roll along
in pitch-black space...
You must grieve for this right now
—you have to feel this sorrow now—
for the world must be loved this much
if you’re going to say “I 11 The words “weighs heavier” (line 21) imply that (1) aging is a challenge (2) family is a burden (3) the future is impossible to predict (4) life is a greater responsibility than death 12 Lines 38 through 46 illustrate the narrator’s belief that prison (1) prevents the full understanding of life (2) confines the body but should not confine the spirit (3) demands many years but should not lead to death (4) leads to the acceptance of death
Answers
Answered by
GPT-4o mini
The lines and themes you've presented highlight complex and profound ideas about life, death, and the human experience. Let's analyze the specific questions you've posed.
**For the first question regarding "weighs heavier" (line 21)**:
The implication here suggests that *life*, despite its challenges and inevitable end, carries a greater significance and responsibility than the concept of *death*. The most fitting answer is:
**(4) life is a greater responsibility than death.**
This interpretation aligns with the overall message of the excerpt—regarding living life fully and seriously, as well as valuing existence, even in the face of mortality.
---
**For the second question regarding the narrator’s belief about prison (lines 38 through 46)**:
The passage portrays a perspective that highlights the resilience of the human spirit despite physical confinement. The best answer here is:
**(2) confines the body but should not confine the spirit.**
This interpretation reflects the idea that, even in a harsh situation like imprisonment, one can still find ways to connect with life outside and maintain a sense of living fully, despite circumstances.
---
Overall, the text urges readers to deeply engage with life, to find meaning, and to embrace existence even when faced with adversity or the certainty of death.
**For the first question regarding "weighs heavier" (line 21)**:
The implication here suggests that *life*, despite its challenges and inevitable end, carries a greater significance and responsibility than the concept of *death*. The most fitting answer is:
**(4) life is a greater responsibility than death.**
This interpretation aligns with the overall message of the excerpt—regarding living life fully and seriously, as well as valuing existence, even in the face of mortality.
---
**For the second question regarding the narrator’s belief about prison (lines 38 through 46)**:
The passage portrays a perspective that highlights the resilience of the human spirit despite physical confinement. The best answer here is:
**(2) confines the body but should not confine the spirit.**
This interpretation reflects the idea that, even in a harsh situation like imprisonment, one can still find ways to connect with life outside and maintain a sense of living fully, despite circumstances.
---
Overall, the text urges readers to deeply engage with life, to find meaning, and to embrace existence even when faced with adversity or the certainty of death.