Sunday, 2 October 2011

Alone by Maya Angelou

Alone by Maya Angelou


Lying, thinking
Last night
How to find my soul a home
Where water is not thirsty
And bread loaf is not stone
I came up with one thing
And I don't believe I'm wrong
That nobody,
But nobody
Can make it out here alone.

Alone, all alone
Nobody, but nobody
Can make it out here alone.

There are some millionaires
With money they can't use
Their wives run round like banshees
Their children sing the blues
They've got expensive doctors
To cure their hearts of stone.
But nobody
No, nobody
Can make it out here alone.

Alone, all alone
Nobody, but nobody
Can make it out here alone.

Now if you listen closely
I'll tell you what I know
Storm clouds are gathering
The wind is gonna blow
The race of man is suffering
And I can hear the moan,
'Cause nobody,
But nobody
Can make it out here alone.

Alone, all alone
Nobody, but nobody
Can make it out here alone.



Alone by Maya Angelou is a poem that depicts the pessimistic view of the world and how if we do not change, everyone will be alone and no one will survive.  If we do not change and work towards a better society that cares for those from all background, we will destroy ourselves as well as the earth that gives us life.  We really do need to change because evolution has proven that "nobody can make it out there alone".

No matter where we go in life, humans need the love and support from our family, friends and loved ones.  It is key to our survival that we have a mate and pair up.  If we were to care more about others, we would all be happier and wouldn't be facing the risk of destroying our world as we know it.  This poem makes me wonder, what if we didn't understand the notion of forming relationships and how they aid us?  Where would we be today?  Relationships often entail pain and suffering when feelings are not reciprocated but that is no reason to not care for others and be alone all the time.  

Love can be painful but loneliness is like not being alive to begin with.

2 comments:

  1. Good insight and understanding into the poem. You ask good questions.

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  2. In my opinion, the author's goal isn't trying to make people change their ways, but rather showing us the hopelessness of the situation. You talk about giving and receiving love from family and friends as a way to 'make it out', but perhaps it is based on a much larger scale in that humankind can't make it out alone. Now, this begs the question, "Do we really have any other companions that can help us?" Divine intervention seems like the only plausible solution, but being the skeptic that I am, it really looks like we're doomed to failure and can never make it out.

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