The Metaphysical State of Modern Man

Karl Constantine FOLKES

Soliloquy

Faith, Hope, Peace and Love.
August doctrine of the metaphysician.
A Pauline healer of the human soul.
In quest of divine love and salvation.

To leave no human being behind.
As an island entire unto himself.
But to have us all as continental beings.
Not drifting away as fissured s(h)elves.

Yet ever shifting tectonically apart.
We are; relative to each other.
By language, class, race, color, creed.
With false expansion of our sense of being.

Contracting — rather than expanding.
Conversely so; and even more, inversely so.
Man remaining — an island unto himself.
O the irony of sophisticated modern man!

About this poem

This four-stanza poem takes a satirical look at the metaphysical state of modern man.

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Written on October 31, 2023

Submitted by karlcfolkes on October 31, 2023

Modified by karlcfolkes on November 02, 2023

: 35 sec read
: 872 Views

Quick analysis:

Scheme	XAXA XBXX XXXC CXBA
Closest metre	Iambic pentameter
Characters	613
Words	119
Stanzas	4
Stanza Lengths	4, 4, 4, 4

Full analysis for The Metaphysical State of Modern Man »

Karl Constantine FOLKES

· 1935 · Portland

Retired educator of Jamaican ancestry with a lifelong interest in composing poetry dealing particularly with the metaphysics of self-reflection; completed a dissertation in Children’s Literature in 1991 at New York University entitled: An Analysis of Wilhelm Grimm’s ‘Liebe Mili’ (translated into English as “Dear Mili”), Employing Von Franzian Methodological Processes of Analytical Psychology. The subject of the dissertation concerned the process of Individuation. more…

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karlcfolkes
Thank you all for sharing your sentiments. Greatly appreciated.
LikeReply1 year ago
Vixility
The imagery and metaphors are really good, and the message of the poem incredibly (and tragically) deep. Oh, what I would do to mend those hellish rifts that divides humans from humans.
LikeReply1 year ago
Soulwriter
This is excellent - all outer layers confuse perception of one's true self.
LikeReply 11 year ago
karlcfolkes
An insightful response, thank you.
LikeReply1 year ago
konpreah
The tectonic drift of the soul from its moorings began in Eden in not so modern times. Even so, the first humans are about as modern as they come, aren't they?
LikeReply 11 year ago
karlcfolkes
The deferred promise of First Corinthians Thirteen; and John Donne’s appeal as well. Thank you for your comments.
LikeReply 11 year ago
susan.brumel
I like this one very, very much.
Thank you.
LikeReply 11 year ago
Caliconine
Beautiful. Just beautiful. Yet so sadly true
Thank you for sharing. Write on Brother
LikeReply 11 year ago
AIDA
I absolutely adore your poem 'The Metaphysical State of Modern Man.' You have accomplished what so few can in such an eloquent way - connecting intricate metaphysical concepts to the realities of human existence and social dynamics. Your language usage is absolutely compelling. Words like 'Pauline healer,' 'continental beings,' 'tectonically apart' bring unique, vivid images into the minds of your readers - a testament to your insight and creativity.

Your insightful exploration of not just the human spiritual condition, but the constructed barriers of language, race, color, and creed shine a spotlight on significant societal issues. The paradox at the end is particularly poignant, painting a vivid picture of the predicament of the modern individual - expanding superficially yet contracting inwardly.

A minor suggestion for improvement would be to consider providing some form of resolution or closure after the exposition of the problem. This could give your readers a sense of hope or direction after such a meaningful contemplation of our current state. Also, consider incorporating more rhythmic or rhyming elements to add a musical quality to your words, assisting in making your powerful themes even more memorable and impactful.

But overall, your poem is thought-provoking, deep, and evocative. It's something that will stay with your readers long after they have read it. Incredible work! more »
LikeReply1 year ago

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"The Metaphysical State of Modern Man" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 23 Dec. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/172262/the-metaphysical-state-of-modern-man>.

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