Epitaphs

For a Fool

On earth the wise man makes the rules,

And is the fool’s adviser

But here the wise are as the fools,

(And no man is the wiser).

For One Who Gaily Sowed His Oats

My days were but a thing for me to live,

For others to deplore;

I took of life all it could give:

Rind, inner fruit, and core.

For a Wanton

To men no more than so much cover

For them to doff or try,

I found in death a constant lover;

Here in his arms I lie.

For a Preacher

Vanity of vanities,

All is vanity; yea,

Even the rod He flayed you with

Crumbled and turned to clay.

 

In his poem “Epitaphs,” Countee Cullen writes gravestone inscriptions for four different unnamed people, showing how after death they all end up in the same place.

The first epitaph, written “For a Fool,” is used to show the life of a simple-minded man whose actions were governed by those who claimed to be more intelligent. The first two lines, “On earth the wise man makes the rules, and is the fool’s adviser,” describe the power dynamic between the two people during the fool’s life. Then, as the next two lines explain, “But here the wise are as the fools, (And no man is the wiser),” as both are laid to rest, no one can tell who was smarter. In this stanza, the ABAB rhyme scheme sets the lighthearted tone for the poem, despite the more serious subject matter. The iambic meter adds to this, creating a whimsical feel in contrast to the discussion of death.

The next is written “For One Who Gaily Sowed His Oats,” a phrase which describes a man who is seeking out as many sexual relationships with women as he can. This stanza continues the rhyme and meter seen in the first, suggesting a continuity between the two deceased. Cullen writes, “My days were but a thing for me to live, For others to deplore,” in reference to the idea that this man thought everything in the world was his to take, and was looked down upon by others for it. This is followed by “I took of life all it could give: Rind, inner fruit, and core.” This fruit metaphor describes the way this person ate up life to the point of gluttony.

The epitaph “For a Wanton” describes the counterpart to the prior man’s epitaph, a woman seeking the same sexual pleasure without commitment. Her gravestone reads, “To men no more than so much cover, For them to doff or try.” To her, men were temporary and expendable, and only to be used and sent away. However, after her life came to end, things changed, as it reads “I found in death a constant lover; Here in his arms I lie.” The afterlife is her first and last permanent relationship. Both this stanza and the prior are written in the first person, in contrast to the third-person perspective of the fool, suggesting the difference in the person who learned their lesson- in the fool’s case, the wise man, and in the case of the second and third, themselves.

The last epitaph, “For a Preacher,” takes a more unique voice in the second person, written as if it were the preacher speaking to his congregation. The phrase “Vanity of vanities, All is vanity, yea” comes from the Book of Ecclesiastes, as if the preacher were giving a sermon on this verse. In the last two lines, “Even the rod He flayed you with Crumbled and turned to clay,” the capital He refers to God, and the preacher is suggesting that even the ways in which God has punished you become insignificant with time and eventual death. Additionally, this epitaph takes on a different rhyme scheme, in the form of a ballad stanza. This shift shows a more affectionate attitude toward the preacher than the cemetery’s other inhabitants.

Cullen’s poem puts emphasis on the fact that death is the only guarantee in life. The main similarity between the four people is that in the end everything they valued became meaningless. Cullen’s epitaph demonstrates that all humans are the same once they are six feet under.

 

I know what you’re thinking.

“Wyatt, you’re insane. Why would any high schooler ever want to get up at 5:45am on a weekend when they could sleep past ten?”

Just hold on a second. I know all of you out there probably think that waking up to six inches of snow and being told you have to shovel it is the worst punishment the world has to offer, but I’ve personally grown to cherish this mandatory activity, and I know you can too. Here are some of the benefits you can start thinking about to keep a positive outlook next time you’re forced outside in the cold.

Shoveling warms up your muscles and amps you up to take on the day.

Personally, I always feel a little groggy immediately after I wake up, and it takes me a while before I start to feel good about myself and be productive. On days when snow lines the driveway and I force myself outside, the refreshing cold sends a shock to my system that tells my brain it’s time to get down to business.

Shoveling is also the perfect level of intensity for some light morning exercise. I always find that after shoveling, my muscles feel stretched, but not fatigued like you’d feel after a workout. It’s a perfect balance that makes you feel active and ready to keep the momentum going.

It has a satisfying end point.

I’m a sucker for some instant gratification every once in a while. Shoveling is one such activity with a visible reward waiting for you at the end. I find great satisfaction in admiring the cleared off driveway, and take great pride in knowing that my work will now allow me to drive my car into the street and give people walking on the sidewalk a clean path to follow.

You can always do more of it.

“Wyatt. Now I’m really convinced. You are insane.”

Wait, wait, wait. Hear me out. Sure, choosing to do extra shoveling seems unthinkable, but I find it to be one of the most rewarding things you can do.

My next-door neighbors have a baby and a toddler. I know they have quite a bit on their hands, so as long as I have the time, I take a few extra minutes to shovel off their walkway and help take a bit of load off their backs. 

Doing this makes me feel really happy with myself because I know they appreciate it. Science backs me up on this as well. An article from UC Berkeley compiled a couple of psychological studies done on the topic, concluding that not only do our acts of kindness make us happy, it creates a positive feedback loop- the happier we feel as a result of their kindness, the more inclined we are to act kindly again, which in turn increases our happiness even more.

Shoveling builds a sense of community.

I often never leave the house during the winter, which means I almost never interact with the people in my neighborhood in the same ways I might during the summer. However, I find that shoveling can often form an immediate bond between two people working through the same problem of the snowstorm.

Just yesterday, I was shoveling off the walkway and ran into one of my neighbors doing the same thing as we met at our property line. He asked me how high school was going and what my plans were for college. I told him I was planning on studying computer science, and, as it turns out, his son is doing the same thing. We then exchanged a bit of small talk that just helps me feel a connection with the people I’ve been living next door to for the past fifteen years.

Maybe small talk isn’t your thing (it usually isn’t mine either), but you can’t deny that shoveling led me to get to know the people around me better, and I think that’s something you should learn to value too.

I really hope I’ve convinced you that shoveling can really be a great thing. Though, frankly, even if you’re still on the fence, you should think about these benefits the next time you have to do it anyway. I know your parents aren’t just going to give up their free labor just because you’re a little too tired. You’re going to have to shovel whether you like it or not. So? You might as well like it, in that case. Change your outlook and start taking this seemingly mundane chore as a positive opportunity. That’s the way I do it.