Promises Like Pie-crusts by Christina Rossetti and The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran Essay Example
Promises Like Pie-crusts by Christina Rossetti and The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran Essay Example

Promises Like Pie-crusts by Christina Rossetti and The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran Essay Example

Available Only on StudyHippo
  • Pages: 3 (703 words)
  • Published: October 24, 2017
  • Type: Essay
View Entire Sample
Text preview

Christina Rossetti's poem "Promises Like Pie-crusts" explores the inherent riskiness of love and advocates for the safety of friendship over the tumultuousness of romantic love. The speaker acknowledges the many unchangeable factors that contribute to a relationship's success or failure, and ultimately decides that it is better to remain friends. As the speaker puts it, "Let us be the friends we were, Nothing more, nothing less." The speaker argues that while many people thrive on the excesses of a relationship, others would perish under its weight. The safety and ease of a friendship, characterized by love and nurturing, often outlasts the damage caused by a failed romantic relationship, which can be irreversible for both parties involved.

Relationships don't just affect the people involved, but also those around them. Friendship is a more controlled type of love, free from passion an

...

d lust which can cloud judgments and consciences. It's characterized by caring and consideration. On the other hand, fleeting romances are often based on first impressions, desire, peer pressure, hormones, illusions, reputation, and vanity. Once these superficial factors have been satisfied, what remains is a broken promise leaving nothing but dissatisfaction. "Promises like pie-crust" refers to someone who is cautious about entering into relationships due to past heartache. This person views relationships as a ticking time bomb with an inevitable explosion.

Just like a pie-crust under the pressure of a cutting knife, all the sweet promises made in relationships crumble. The poet discovers a lost liberty, unknown past, and ruined expectations when a relationship is severed. The crumbling of pie-crust from the outside in destroys the edge and similarly, broken promises can erode the trust in

View entire sample
Join StudyHippo to see entire essay

a relationship from the outside in. It seems that the poet has experienced many broken promises and is now cautious and cognizant of the consequences of thoughtlessly made commitments.

According to Christina Rossetti, friendship means being free - free to desire, free to leave, free to speak, free to think - and not feeling guilty about it. The poet values the idea of freedom and rejects false promises that can easily lead to impulsive decisions. Unlike promises that can be true or false, freedom is constant and always present. Rossetti believes that freedom does not create any bonds or obligations like love does. To her, love can feel like a restrictive office setting with a typewriter and a waste bin.

On the desk, there are stacks of prepared promises ready to be signed or forged while broken promises are scattered on the floor instead of being thrown away. Rossetti believes that love can disintegrate due to various reasons and therefore, it is not worth it. She prefers to keep herself closed off and avoid revealing vulnerable sides to prevent getting hurt again and never experience love again.

The author of The Prophet, Kahlil Gibran, believes that love is an expression that should be given without promises or commitments, "Love one another." This line is reminiscent of one of the ten commandments from the Bible. Gibran sees love as inclusive and spiritual, encompassing both thoughts and actions. He advocates for a love that is shared among everyone rather than confined to a specific couple. Additionally, he expresses the importance of self-love as a way of loving others. According to Gibran, individuals should be able to maintain their independence even

while being a part of a larger group, singing and dancing together but still being able to be alone like the strings of a lute that vibrate with the same music. Finally, Gibran emphasizes that love should not become too personal, otherwise it will fail, using the metaphor that "the pillars of a temple stand apart."

E. The collapse of a relationship is analogous to the collapse of a temple when the pillars become too close. Just as trees cannot grow in the shadows of other trees, people need space to grow, so it's essential to give love while also maintaining a distance that allows them to grow. Gibran believes that love should be a union of hearts held together by a gentle grip that is rooted in love. However, Rossetti believes that love hurts, and those who expose themselves to it are vulnerable to getting hurt.

Get an explanation on any task
Get unstuck with the help of our AI assistant in seconds
New