Essay on Poems about Money and Happiness

Many of the poems we have read in class discuss the struggle to find true happiness. Though they explore different elements of it, they all return to two common themes - that happiness is subjective and that it is often hard to achieve. Lyrical poems are a great medium for themes like these since they can express many emotions through purposeful phrasing. A major difficulty in finding happiness is the obstacles presented by our often grim world, which are especially relevant today, as Covid-19 changes our lives. Furthermore, there is a certain perspective of happiness in American society that is imposed on us, even though happiness is in the eye of the beholder. This clouded view contributes to unhappiness that is often expressed and questioned through poetry like what we have read in class. Since the concept of happiness is so vague, it is easily forgotten, especially with all of the complexities in daily life.

In a seemingly nonstop world, it is easy to get distracted from what truly matters - finding happiness. Many people will claim or imply that money is happiness or conversely, that it means nothing at all. Neither side is right or wrong since happiness is a subjective feeling that can mean a lot of different things. One underlying struggle in many people’s lives is deciding what makes them happy. The poem A Center by Ha Jin claims the proper way to find happiness is to be yourself, regardless of what the world tells you. He argues “As long as you stay put year after year, / eventually you will find a world / beginning to revolve around you.” (12-14) In this, he asserts that if you do what makes you happy, the world will begin to grow around you and stop holding you back. However, this perspective is sometimes too optimistic. One drawback of Jin’s ideas is his disregard for opposing views. He encourages, “If others call you a maniac or a fool, just let them wag their tongues. / If some praise your perseverance, / don't feel too happy about it—” (3-6). Ignoring all outside opinions is certainly not the way to achieve happiness. Besides, often the problem arises that the world does seem to hold you back.

Another major problem in the search for happiness is that sometimes, the world or one’s culture prevents them from living their happiest life. In American society, for example, there is a certain set of values that are almost assumed for those living here. For instance, there are clear stigmas against those who don’t go to traditional colleges or hold traditional jobs, regardless of whether it makes them happy or not. The poem Try to Praise the Mutilated World by Adam Zagajewski confronts our misplaced values. One striking passage opposes them, “You watched the stylish yachts and ships; / one of them had a long trip ahead of it, / while salty oblivion awaited others.” (7-9) These lines patronize American society for focusing on money and fame rather than helping those without it. The poem continues, “You’ve seen the refugees going nowhere, / you’ve heard the executioners sing joyfully. / You should praise the mutilated world.” (10-12) These powerful lines expose horrific truths of how we avert our eyes to injustices to people all over the world and how we nonetheless “should praise the mutilated world.” Our unjust attitudes create an inflexible system without regard for outliers, which causes them to become alienated.

Another poem, Self-Help by Charles Bernstein analyzes the misplaced optimism and ignorance present in our culture, which contribute to alienation within our society. Often, American culture pushes us to look on the bright side rather than focusing on the negatives. This mindset can be good in moderation, but often we are implored to ignore significant problems. Self-Help examines the numerous examples of misplaced idealism in our culture by contradicting several negative situations with ridiculous (and sadly familiar) solutions. For example, one line says, “Quadruple bypass. --Hold the bacon on that next cheeseburger.” (2) This quote exemplifies American culture because it not only touches on a horrifyingly real stereotype of unhealthiness but also demonstrates the ridiculousness and stubbornness of our culture. Most everyone knows that cheeseburgers are unhealthy, especially if you have underlying heart conditions, so the idea that omitting the bacon will somehow negate the unhealthiness shows the irony of our unwarranted optimism. This misplaced optimism can be especially damaging to the most vulnerable among us.

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Sadly, many people struggle to find happiness in their lives due to mental illness, which is furthered by a general American insensitivity toward those difficult issues. The poem Preface to a Twenty-Volume Suicide Note by Amiri Baraka explores relevant topics surrounding depression through his use of in-depth imagery. A few lines that stood out to me describe the struggle to function, “Lately, I've become accustomed to the way / The ground opens up and envelopes me / Each time I go out to walk the dog.” (1-3) Baraka uses the powerful metaphor of the ground swallowing him to describe how depression affects him. He continues to reflect saying, “And now, each night I count the stars, / And each night I get the same number. / And when they will not come to be counted, / I count the holes they leave.” (7-10) He counts the people that bring brightness to his life and he remembers those who leave. It is common for patients with depression to feel alone and sad and remembering those who bring joy is a great way to dispel unwanted thoughts. Especially now, it is important to remember those closest to us, even if they are physically distant.

Amid a worldwide pandemic and quarantine, it is easy to feel lost and lose a sense of happiness. Since we have a seemingly endless amount of time to reflect, emotional expression is important; one great tool for this is poetry. Although it is easy to feel alone and sad, we must remember that we are alone together. Everybody is staying home so that we can soon return to the real world. Many of the themes of these poems explore the idea of perseverance, even in dark times which are crucial now, more than ever. Even though none of these poems were written during the Covid-19 outbreak, they contain many relevant themes about achieving happiness. Many of the poems explore ideas of imprisonment within one’s own culture, while others describe imprisonment within one’s mind, but they all establish happiness as an elusive ideal that is impossible to completely achieve.

Though absolute happiness is unachievable, it might not even be necessary or desirable. One story that we read in class this year, “The Happy Man” by Naguib Mahfouz exemplifies this idea. The main character wakes up one day, unable to feel any emotion besides manic happiness. Through this, the story explores happiness without hardship. In the end, the main character describes his unconditional happiness as debilitating since he begins to lose touch with reality and eventually becomes unable to function. This story helps remind us to value our lives as they are, happiness is more than feeling good; a more apt word for what we desire is contentment. This idea of contentment is constant in many poems, they often acknowledge the struggles in finding life satisfaction, whether they be distractions, divergence from the norm, or mental health issues. Many poems establish the idea that throughout all of life’s difficulties, happiness can be achieved despite almost anything if you have the right outlook.

The seemingly limitless number of struggles in finding happiness contribute to richer contentment once it is achieved. Without a taste of defeat, there is no joy in victory; Life’s obstacles flesh out our perspectives of happiness and give it meaning. Through poetry, we can express these struggles to find contentment in today’s world or to figure out where to go next. Many poems have a call to action and bring awareness to problems within our culture so that one day we can move forward and be truly content. One who is stagnant, without goals, simply accepting defeat cannot be content. Whereas those who even try can be satisfied with what they achieved, even if they were unsuccessful in their goals, their effort represents something more. Happiness is a confusing and ambiguous concept, but luckily, it can take many forms so contentment is achievable to anyone through a driven and flexible mindset.