In the process of failing to come up with a title for my blog I pulled out a book titled One Hundred and One Famous Poems. What I found is that the 28th poem captures exactly what has helped me endure the many problems in life that all one hundred of the other poems eloquently express. This poem by Maltbie Davenport Babcock is titled Be Strong.
Strength is exactly what connects me to each moment in my life that has impacted who I am. On January 4, 2009 two of my friends were killed in a car accident. At that time I felt that all strength was gone from me but what I found is that strength was not gone, strength was building inside of me. Neil Young’s song Give me Strength quotes “The happier you fly, the sadder you fall, the laughter in your eyes is never all.” What fascinates me about this song is that it essentially says that happiness is a risk, but a risk worth taking. The reason this risk is worth taking is because instilled in everyone is a strength that will help them endure anything. I believe the strength I have today comes from the risks I take whether I fail or succeed. What is wonderful about my findings within the poem Be Strong is that we can all relate to literary works and be connected to other people all over the world, past and present through a single poem.
