Love - Stanza III

And Love will drop you like a bird
Scorched flying near the sun
Do not the dizzy heights disturb
Love’s quest to become one.

As explained in the first two blog entries previous to this, the poetic parable on Love has meanings and interpretations which flow as an under-current and at times contrary to the face value of the poem. 

Typically, the reader who does not reflect on these meanings will feel the story is about emotional or romantic love.  And that is fine.  As it partly is.  The reality is though that in the visitor's use of the word Love he means more than the emotional / romantic / feeling connotation of Love.  The Visitor makes an argument through the novel that it is the misuse of language which makes many words now meaningless; and cites the word Love as being one of those words.

The first two stanzas on Love (discussed in previous blogs) explain how through the Visitor's eyes Love is more than a feeling, but rather an entity and describes it as a sacred sentiment.  As such, the first two stanzas talk about Love (subject) beckoning or lifting (action); and then wrap up by the concept of our response to Love may best be served by the concept of sacrifice.

Love Stanza III - Line I :  And Love will drop you like a bird

In the first line of stanza III again the reader is subjected to the concept of Love as an entity capable of action.  This is similar to the notion in the first two stanzas, but in this case Love (object) drops (action).  

The idea of "like a bird" is consistent with the Corvus/Crow concept.  Here again we build on the physical (height, flight, vantage) as well as the spiritual notions of the impact of Love on our lives.  Often we talk about "falling in Love".  In this reverse perspective, we talk more of the idea of "falling from Love".  

It is a cost of Love.  The reader will see this sentiment in various other areas of The Visitor, such as at the outset of the book (Silence is Broken) when the narrator describes:

As all those who enter our lives are destined to go, we embrace the initial welcome, even knowing the pain of departure will someday arrive. Still, the Visitor knew that to go in peace he must come in peace, and leave thoughts of his leaving behind.

This is further reflected in some of the first comments of the visitor in the same chapter (Silence is Broken).  When speaking to the crowd he shares in his style of poetic parable

I wish I had more time to live,
And yet less time to grieve.
To feel the ground beneath my feet,
And taste the Love I leave.

Besides other examples which will be explored later, this concept is really driven home in the first chapter of The Stranger (Book II of the Corvus Chronicles) which is shared in the epilogue of the The Visitor.  In the opening chapter of The Stranger the main character comes across a stranger outside a hospital while grieving for his mother, and the stranger engages him with the comment of:

“Have you just now realized that the price for life is death and the cost of love is hurt?”

Love Stanza III - Line II :  Scorched flying near the sun

Phoenix from Metz Cathedral, Lorraine France.

The imagery now of a bird flying too close to the sun depicts the mythology of The Phoenix. The reference to the phoenix calls to mind the influence of Kahlil Gibran on The Visitor.  Although Gibran does not mention the phoenix, the phoenix is a Greek mythical creature that symbolizes cyclical regeneration and rebirth (which is a similar message with Gibran's The Prophet).

But why a departure from Gibran and the imagery of the phoenix?  As the reader will understand; the common message of the phoenix it is about rebirth, or arising from the ashes. This can be interpreted as either moving on after death, or a spiritual rebirth as in baptism.  

The imagery and height was not lost on the architecture of Metz Cathedral, A Roman Catholic church built in 1200 in Lorraine France.  The image in this blog is from Metz Cathedral, a Roman Catholic church also known as "The Good Lord's Lantern" due to the fact it boasts the largest display of stained glass windows within a Catholic Church.

Love Stanza III - Line III :  Do not the dizzy heights disturb

The idea of Love, of lifting, of flight, of heavens have already been discussed in the previous two blogs on Love which dealt with the first two stanzas of the poetic parable on Love.  This concept of "rising up" is also captured by the phoenix imagery in the first two lines of stanza three.  It is not mere coincidence that "The Good Lord's Lantern" (from where the image of the phoenix in this blog is from) also boasts one of the highest naves of all churches.  

But the idea of dizzy heights disturb also calls to the feeling or disorientation one may experience in the acceptance of Love.  It can be scary.  To accept Love as well as to sacrifice as the cost of acceptance (described in stanzas I and II; see previous two blogs) and deny self interest (Self interest must be breached) is disturbing.  This third line basically again brings up the notion of "staying strong" or FAITH.  To not be disturbed.

Love Stanza III - Line IV :  Love’s quest to become one.

If there was any doubt in the "personification" of Love, (the concept of Love as an entity) this line itself should remove all doubt.  Here Love as described by the visitor is not a feeling.  It is an entity.  An entity with purpose.  To declare Love has a quest, is declare it has intention.  That intention as described by the visitor in the fourth line of the third stanza is "to become one".

This is again a common theme throughout The Visitor and The Corvus Chronicles.  The journey of Love is a quest to become one.  The very first words of the visitor in the first chapter of the book direct the course of this journey when the narrator states, "If anyone had asked the Visitor who or what he was, he would have simply said"

I am a part of you, just as you are part of me.
No more, no less; just another guest
Whose time has come to leave.

Upon reading the novel the reader will not be able to evade this concept.  The idea that "we are one" is constantly refreshed both through the narrator's narrative and through the visitor's poetic parables.

If you have read the first three blogs, I hope that within these first three stanzas of the poetic parable of Love you are starting to feel and see that The Visitor is not the simple read it appears to be at first passing.  Again, the interpretations are broad, and you may find other meanings or messages that resonate for you.  Take the time, explore and look inwards.  I can not, even as the author, tell you what message waits for you on your journey.  As the Visitor comments in the section regarding KNOWLEDGE when asked about teaching (see Chapter V - Communion) , the visitor shares:

He strips you from reason to reveal the truth
For these visions he sees are not yours.
He guides you to knowledge that lives within you
And leaves you - to open the doors.

He leaves you to walk through the threshold alone
As we all stand alone before God
And lifting your gaze you will see we are one
And the division is but a façade.

Until my next blog, when I discuss my interpretation of Love - Stanza IV I leave you with the first three stanzas on Love:

When Love beckons, do not sleep
And let none stand in defiance of;
Though cost be high and loss be steep
Leave doubt behind and yield to Love.

As sure as Love will lift you high
To heights beyond your reach
To fully grasp; you must partly die
Self-interest must be breached.

And Love will drop you like a bird
Scorched flying near the sun
Do not the dizzy heights disturb
Love’s quest to become one.

Journey in Love

Michael Paul

Love - Stanza II

In today's blog I will quickly review some of the personal intentional meanings behind the second stanza of the poetic parable on Love.  As indicated in the previous blog, this is only my personal reflection on the meaning of the words.  You as the reader may find a different meaning within the stanza.

LOVE - Stanza II

As sure as Love will lift you high
To heights beyond your reach
To fully grasp; you must partly die
Self-interest must be breached.

Love Stanza II Line I  - As sure as Love will lift you high

As discussed in the previous blog, Love in the terms of the visitor is more than just a "feeling".  It is a term attributed to an entity capable of action.  In the first stanza, Love (subject) beckons (action).  In this line Love (subject) lifts (action).

It is important to understand the meaning provided to Love as used by the visitor to get the greater sense of the parable.  In this line, the visitor remarks basically says its a sure thing that Love will lift you high.  That concept is important to understand.  It is not that it "might" lift you high, but rather, it is assured.  

The concept of being lifted high is a two part metaphor.  One is contained within the entire series and that is of the Crow.  The Crow, a member of the Corvus family (therefore Corvus Chronicles) is a bird which both is capable of flight (soars through the heavens?) and also walking on the land.  The Crow is symbolic across many different cultures.  Sometimes as a harbinger of death (a murder of crows), sometimes a symbol of "the Trickster", and sometimes an omen of change.  

The other concept is that Corvus is also a constellation, or part of "the heavens". (There is a whole other meaning of "Corvus" as in the constellation Corvus, but you will find very similar messages across cultures).  So the other meaning beyond flight, is that of heaven.

As indicated in the prologue, the novel is influenced by Thomas Merton.  As also indicated Thomas Merton was both an advocate for international peace and inter-faith understanding.  As such, the novel is based on the image of the heavens symbolized by both the bird (Crow; Corvus family) and the constellation (Corvus, constellation) as natural representations of international peace and inter-faith understanding.  These are concepts of a different perception; both those found in flight (a higher vantage) and those of spirituality (heavens).  Both also relate to the idea of "Journey".

For example: page 6 of The Visitor (Chapter Corvus) reads;

So how did he come to be here, at the beck of the crow and the call of the stars? If he had been asked, the Visitor would have simply smiled, knowing that beginnings are always somewhat vague, and it is only at the end that clarity begins. Today, things would become clear.

This sets the stage for some of the metaphors and interpretation of poetic parables within the book.  Basically, this is the ending (eve of death) of someone who sees through the vagueness which has plagued him throughout life except to provide a moment of clarity towards the end.  The beck of the crow (call of death) and the call of the stars (pull of the heavens) is a literal metaphor which together set the stage for this first book of The Corvus Chronicles.

Love Stanza II Line II- To heights beyond your reach

It is probably obvious to you now that the "heights" can be seen as both a different perspective (as in the flight of the crow) or spiritual (heavens/constellation).  

The reality is that whether it is the vantage of a different perspective enabled by the crow which follows the visitor, or the spiritual vantage point, that they are beyond the individuals reach.  However, in the context of the poem; with Love - they are within your reach.  Again, Love being an entity more than just a feeling means that there is an ability to reach those heights, but not by yourself.

Love Stanza II Line III- To fully grasp; you must partly die

There are many different interpretations of this line.  Probably the easiest to comprehend is in the literal translation of "you must partly die".  This is the concept of baptism.  In baptism, you partly die to your physical self at the birth of your spiritual self.  It is not surprising that many Christian churches still use "full immersion" as a preferred method of baptism.  In that practice, the person is full immersed in water (symbolizing burial) before being lifted out of the water (symbolizing renewal of life).

However, this line leads to the next line in a purposeful manner.  To truly move forward in a journey, you must leave something behind.  This goes as well for a Journey of Love.  You cannot remain in one place.  You must leave one place to get to another.  Each step of life requires leaving something behind.  Basically, life is a procession towards death, at least "earthly death".

Love Stanza II Line IV  - Self-interest must be breached.

Again we see the concept of sacrifice that was evident in Love Stanza I (Previous blog).  Self-interest must be put behind.  In various sections of The Visitor the reader will encounter this concept.  Whether it is regarding giving, or raising of children, you must let go of self-interest.

Again, this concept is found not just in society and in communities, but within various religious beliefs.  The idea of "the greater good" or the idea of "giving" or the idea of FAITH.  All require self-interest to not be the primary mover of your actions.  Even to the point of LOVE, sometimes you are required to think of the other person first, whether a parent, a partner or a fellow human being in need.

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Again, these are just perspectives of the meaning of the words from the view of the author.  They are not exhaustive or exclusive.  I hope that whatever meaning you might find provides you comfort in your journey.

Now for Stanza's 1 and II on LOVE together:

When Love beckons, do not sleep
And let none stand in defiance of;
Though cost be high and loss be steep
Leave doubt behind and yield to Love.

As sure as Love will lift you high
To heights beyond your reach
To fully grasp; you must partly die
Self-interest must be breached.

Michael Paul.

Love

The poetic parable on Love is found in Chapter III of The Visitor.  

This blog is the first in a series of blogs which will in part explain what the words within The Visitor and The Corvus Chronicles mean to me, the author.  (The Visitor is the first book in a series of eight books that together make up The Corvus Chronicles).

I am aware that there are different interpretations and meanings possible within the poetic parables and I would encourage each reader to understand the message unique to themselves.

As described in the prologue of The Visitor, the story may appear to be very simple, but it is not; and although I may have penned the words, the words are not exclusively mine.  

The Visitor is a complex read which contains deeper meanings interwoven throughout which the reader may not notice during their first reading.  The book itself  was written in a state of prayer illuminated by the peaceful glow of seven candles.  

The full poetic parable on Love contains 16 stanzas (64 lines) which stand independently but together weave one holistic message.   In blogging "The Visitor; Re-Visited: I will explain parts of the poetic parables from the book one stanza at a time ; and then present that stanza with other stanza's in future blogs so the reader can see how the story is changed when viewed from a more holistic (sic) lens.

It is important to re-emphasize that I am only presenting the first stanza at this time.  You may read the first seven stanzas of the poem on Love for free at https://www/michaelpaul.online  

STANZA 1:

When Love beckons, do not sleep
And let none stand in defiance of;
Though cost be high and loss be steep
Leave doubt behind and yield to Love.

STANZA 1 Line 1 - When Love beckons, do not sleep

The narrator of The Visitor explains within the book how the visitor himself felt that words have become somewhat meaningless.  Words like "Love" (which should only be used when describing sacred things like the spirit of another person, not chocolate or wine) have become so corrupted that they are meaningless.  As such, it is not surprising that the visitor does not use the word Love to describe only "a feeling".  It is not by accident that the word itself (Love) is capitalized throughout the entire novel.  This is employing an intentional literary device meant to push the concept that Love is not an adjective, but rather a personal pronoun.  This is part of the deeper meaning.  Love is not just a feeling, as it is an entity.  An entity capable of communicating or calling.  When Love beckons is really depicting an entity calling out.  A subject (Love) taking action (beckons).  

STANZA 1 Line 2 - And let none stand in defiance of;

The visitor advises those assembled to hear his final message(s) that when Love calls - pay attention (do not sleep) - and awaken to the call.  The second line of the first stanza is a message to respond and stay strong. It is the concept of Faith.  The reader will also recognize that the word Faith is also always capitalized.  Again, this is not by accident, but rather reflects my desire that people see Faith as a sacred word, which should always be capitalized.  

As described in the novel The Visitor, the visitor is described as hopeless.  Hopeless in the true sense that he does not believe in hope.  The narrator of the story explains how the Visitor had to give up on hope and anchor himself to Faith, and then explains the differences between hope and Faith.  In addition, within the line And let none stand in defiance of;  the visitor calls us to be aware there are external entities (people, forces) that may not be supportive of the calling of Love. 

These first two lines of the first stanza together convey a constant message found within The Visitor.  Within these two lines the reader is again exposed to the dualistic view and dualistic nature of the visitor himself.  The visitor views the world through extremes; such as hot or cold, in or out, black or white. Within the story The Visitor; the narrator describes how the visitor himself was unable to recognize the colours which reside within his black and white view of the world.  It was only when finding Love (with his Beloved) that he was able to understand the complexities within Life.  As such, one of the central characters in the book (the Beloved) is an important element in providing the visitor with his "missing peaces" (sic) which he shares on the eve of his death.

This concept of dualism is repeated throughout various sections of The Visitor.  In the section of Joy and Sorrow, the visitor describes how joy and sorrow are simply two sides of the same coin and both arise from the same place within your heart.  While one is awake, the other sleeps.  The same concept is found when the visitor talks about Love and hate.  They are also two sides of the same coin and cannot exist together.  The visitor often warns about how hate will choke out the ability for Love to grow, and how Love can conquer hate.  

STANZA 1 Line 3 - Though cost be high and loss be steep

This line in its simplest most direct interpretation is the concept of sacrifice.  It does talk about the reward of sacrifice, but rather the cost.  The reader will find this concept throughout the novel as well.  For example in the poetic parable on Freedom (Chapter IV of The Visitor - The Needs of Many)  stanza IX reads:

Even at costs that run dearly,
Like a cross / cross your back / on your knees
Then you may finally see clearly.
Then you may finally be free.

Here the visitor shares the concept of sacrifice when describing the price of Freedom.  While this particular parable talks about personal Freedom, by raising the awareness of others who have given up their Freedom to provide for the Freedom of others; this particular stanza however directs the reader to the imagery seen within "The Stations of the Cross".  Literally this is a description of acknowledging the ultimate sacrifice.

STANZA 1 Line 4 - Leave doubt behind and yield to Love.

The last line in the first stanza on Love circles back to the concept of Faith and Love.  To leave doubt behind is to have Faith.  With Faith, the Visitor encourages those who have come to hear his last words, to surrender themselves to Love. 

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Such are some of the messages contained within only the first stanza on the poetic parable on Love.  As described earlier, The Visitor is a complex read with very many levels of interpretation.  Remember however that this is only the author's explanation of his understanding of the words.  You as a reader may have a different interpretation, and that is good.  

After all, it is never about being right, but rather about uncovering the truth.

Journey in Love

Michael Paul.