Loneliness

l (a

l e
a f
f a
l l

s )
o n e
l

i n e s s

Based on the book that I have read, I found out that a poem is fundamentally a thought or a feeling expressed in rhythmic and colorful language. It can actually be about anything. It can be about a plant or about a pet. It can also be about love, hatred, loyalty and other things.

Giving your own reaction to a poem is not that easy but following certain guidelines in understanding poems could be of great help just like rephrasing the poem into your own words. Ironically, given these guidelines to help me interpret the poem above did not help at all. Being asked to interpret and react to this poem is absolutely that hard. I really had no idea on how to interpret it and even rephrasing it using my own words. One of the many possible factors is its structure. Another possible factor is that the poem contains only 22 characters. To be honest, this poem is the weirdest poem I have ever read in my entire life. It takes time to analyze and think what the poem is all about and what it is trying to tell us.

If we would just observe the poem carefully, we could see the word loneliness and the phrase a leaf falls after the first L in the word loneliness.

What do we mean by loneliness? It is actually the state of being unfrequented by man; deserted; and not having others near; being apart from fellows or companions; being sad from want of companionship or sympathy; characterized by sadness, desolation, or the feeling of emptiness.

I bet a lot have been experiencing loneliness. Indeed being lonely is not a joke and is it not even something to brag about. Being lonely makes you feel sad that it could even lead you to depression. Probably, being alone is one of the saddest and darkest days a person could ever experience.

By carefully analyzing the poem, it seems that the writer is trying to associate loneliness with the falling of a leaf. Yes, it could actually be related. When a leaf falls from a tree or a plant, it seems like it is leaving the tree. The tree now is left alone or empty. Thus, making it alone or making it experience loneliness.

The writer seems to be experiencing loneliness when he or she wrote this. Through this, the writer was able to express what he or she truly feels.

Indeed, it is not easy to be alone or to experience loneliness. It is hard to have no one and just being by yourself.

“Language has created the word loneliness to express the pain of being alone, and the word solitude to express the glory of being alone.”

-Paul Tillich (1886-1965)
German-born U.S. theologian and philosopher.