Chapter 5 Response Of Mice and Men

I Am Much Too Alone in This World, Yet Not Alone


I am much too alone in this world, yet not alone

enough

to truly consecrate the hour.

I am much too small in this world, yet not small

enough

to be to you just object and thing,

dark and smart.

I want my free will and want it accompanying

the path which leads to action;

and want during times that beg questions,

where something is up,

to be among those in the know,

or else be alone.

I want to mirror your image to its fullest perfection,

never be blind or too old

to uphold your weighty wavering reflection.

I want to unfold.

Nowhere I wish to stay crooked, bent;

for there I would be dishonest, untrue.

I want my conscience to be

true before you;

want to describe myself like a picture I observed

for a long time, one close up,

like a new word I learned and embraced,

like the everday jug,

like my mother's face,

like a ship that carried me along

through the deadliest storm.

Rainer Maria Rilke
(1875 - 1926 / Germany)

As I searched onto google, I found this poem that demonstrates a story about loneliness and it really made me think of the book "Of Mice and Men." As I read every line of it, I would try to picture how much of it was similar to the story. In the poem, where it said : "I am much too alone in this world, yet not alone enough." made me think of the story and how all of them were basically lonely and in their heads, that could have been what they were feeling. This poem had many words which also made me think of the story, like when it mentions the word "old" it makes me think of Candy and how old and useless he was getting. Also when they mention the word "crooked" it reminded me of Crooks in the story who had a crooked back.