To be great, be whole

Thursday 18 March 2010


To be great, be whole: exclude
Nothing, exaggerate nothing that is you.
Be whole in everything. Put all that you are
Into the smallest thing you do.
Like that on each place the whole moon
Shines, for she lives aloft.
(1933)

in «Ricardo Reis ODES»

3 comentários:

Unknown said...

I am a big fan of Fernando Pessoa. I love all the poems I understand.
I think his poetry is timeless and his writing is very rational, never imitating life: “the poet is a pretender/ he acts so completely/ that he pretends that is pain/ the pain he is really feeling”. His poetry is very complex and I think it takes maturity to understand many of his poems.

If after I die, someone wants to write my biography,
There is nothing simpler
It has only two dates - my birth and my death.
Between one and another thing all the days are mine.

Alberto Caeiro in “Poemas Inconjuntos”

Alberto Caeiro is one of the heteronomous of Fernando Pessoa. It is amazing how a man has the ability of creating characters with independent lifes. I love this poem because it gives us the power of controlling our own life. I don’t believe in destiny and I don’t believe things are meant to be. I don´t think the world is black or white. We have the power to make decisions that will change the course of our life. As Fernando Pessoa said “There is nothing more truely than being a person in the crowd”, so stand out.

Teacher Lígia Silva said...

Dear Daniela
having a break from marking tests I came here to relax a bit and I really relaxed with your comment and way of seeing and thinking about life.
thanks
have a nice and cool weekend
xx

Teacher Lígia Silva said...

By the way Daniela
the comment you wrote isn't here yet and I'm still waiting for the day when you decide to leave a real post and not just a comment.
xx