Analysis Of No Simple Thing By Stephen Dobyn

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Just how many regrets does the average individual have? The poems “Time” by Joe Massocco, “No Simple Thing” by Stephen Dobyn, and the song “Time Stand Still” by Rush, lament the swift passage of time and inevitably along with it, the loss of loved ones, discussing thoughts and emotions on the passage of time in a similar fashion, through a pessimistic lens. They discuss an unexpected human condition within them – the desire to cherish life while possible.
The human condition, a common topic in literature and media, is discreetly demonstrated in the poem “Time”. In this piece, the author mourns his past, wishing to somehow travel back to his childhood. “Oh, how I wish I could turn back time, // Spend it with loved ones and cherish what once was mine. // Or to go back even more, // Being a kid in a candy store. // How I miss the way I used to feel // On Christmas day when Santa was real.” (line 292929 - line13901313, Masocco). In this phrase, Massocco deems it sweeter to live a simpler life of naiveté by telling brief descriptions of his past. This is an expression of his desire to embrace the past, allowing the reader to deduce that the author has in actuality missed his chance to revere those precious moments.
Another example from the same poem is, …show more content…

Even by looking forward to the anticipation of the future and the novelty of the present, there is the risk of being lost in the familiar past, a concept that “No Simple Thing” employs. This can be explained by a simple evolutionary trait. As a species, humans have the tendency to plan in preparation for future possibilities. It is necessary to analyze and interpret the past for the future. This, however, can be a slippery slope of delving too deep and centralizing energy for what cannot be changed, as seen in

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