BlogchatterA2Z (Dead Man walking) by Thomas hardy

The dead man walking is a poem of psychological realism by Thomas Hardy I read last semester that humbled me and gave me a perspective to live more and breathe more. 

The first time I read the title, I was intrigued by the imagination of a dead man walking and thought it might be about a zombie or ghost. 

But how wrong was I not cherishing the metaphysical thoughts behind this masterpiece that consumes the emotions of a man who is physically alive but emotionally and mentally dead? 

Thomas Hardy, in this poem, portrayed the loneliness one feels and how physical death is not the only meaning of being dead. The speaker in the poem explains how he started feeling dead gradually after experiencing lots of pain and failures in relationships, how as a young man, he was cheerful, but as years passed, he realized the cruelty of men and society, the selfish intentions for everything one did, the death of the close ones, and the loophole a person gets stuck in. 

We feel bad after we witness a physical death. But what about metaphysical death? Feeling lonely in a crowd or the isolation that stops the world around you, lack of willingness to communicate, betrayals, and regrets are reasons for any person to get emotionally weak. 

“And if when I died fully

I cannot say,

Check the complete poem here 

This poem gave me a perspective, a moral boost on how to avoid being a dead man walking, in and how I can cheer myself up. 

Firstly, it’s ok not to be ok. 

Give yourself a day to process what and why it’s happening. Where did you go wrong? How to avoid it in the future? Sometimes stress and deadlines help us be more productive, so once in a while, it’s ok to feel the pressure for betterment. 

Here are three tips to instantly change your mood –

1. Take a break from your monotonous routine – skip things that are not urgent, wear something new, do something you don’t usually do, and surprise yourself. 
2. Doing some quick activities – running, dancing, cardio sessions, or even a few minutes of any workout activity will shift your focus from an emotionally low day.
3. Meditate – not just regular yoga and meditation. It can be reading, listening to music or podcasts, or re-watching your favorite series. 
   
   

This post is a part of #BlogchatterA2Z 2023