from 90 North by Randall Jarrell

I reached my North and it had meaning.
Here at the actual pole of my existence,
Where all that I have done is meaningless,
Where I die or live by accident alone–

Where, living or dying, I am still alone;
Here where North, the night, the berg of death
Crowd me out of the ignorant darkness,
I see at last that all the knowledge

I wrung from the darkness–that the darkness flung me–
Is worthless as ignorance: nothing comes from nothing,
The darkness from the darkness. Pain comes from the darkness
And we call it wisdom. It is pain.

6 thoughts on “from 90 North by Randall Jarrell

  1. They say here…. ” you can learn for love or for the pain” … I dont know for sure but humankind is always between two pole…. And you have just one chance… you can choise love or pain….Belíssimo poema 🙂 🙂

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