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Death
It has been well said: "Death and death alone is what we must consult about life; and not some vague future or survival, in which we shall not be present. It is our own end; and everything happens in the interval between death and now. Do not talk to me of those imaginary prolongations which wield over us the childish spell of number; do not talk to me-to me who am to die outright-of societies and peoples! There is no reality, there is no true duration, save that between the cradle and the grave. The rest is mere bombast, show, delusion! They call me a master because of some magic in my speech and thoughts; but I am a frightened child in the presence of death!"[1]
- GenresPhilosophyNonfiction
124 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1911
About the author
Maurice Maeterlinck
1,009 books264 followersMaurice Polydore Marie Bernard Maeterlinck (also called Count Maeterlinck from 1932) was a Belgian playwright, poet, and essayist who was a Fleming, but wrote in French.
He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1911 "in appreciation of his many-sided literary activities, and especially of his dramatic works, which are distinguished by a wealth of imagination and by a poetic fancy, which reveals, sometimes in the guise of a fairy tale, a deep inspiration, while in a mysterious way they appeal to the readers' own feelings and stimulate their imaginations".
The main themes in his work are death and the meaning of life. His plays form an important part of the Symbolist movement.
He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1911 "in appreciation of his many-sided literary activities, and especially of his dramatic works, which are distinguished by a wealth of imagination and by a poetic fancy, which reveals, sometimes in the guise of a fairy tale, a deep inspiration, while in a mysterious way they appeal to the readers' own feelings and stimulate their imaginations".
The main themes in his work are death and the meaning of life. His plays form an important part of the Symbolist movement.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
May 4, 2019
Une magnifique réflexion sur la mort, ou plus exactement sur la notion du néant et de l'éternité.
'L'anéantissement n'est pas de lieu où rien n'est plus. La clarté d'une étoile éteinte depuis des millions d'années erre encore dans l´éther où nos yeux la rencontreront peut-etre ce soir, tandis qu'elle poursuit sa route sans terme. Il en est ainsi de tout ce que nous voyons comme de tout ce que nous ne voyons point.'
A lire et à re-lire!
'L'anéantissement n'est pas de lieu où rien n'est plus. La clarté d'une étoile éteinte depuis des millions d'années erre encore dans l´éther où nos yeux la rencontreront peut-etre ce soir, tandis qu'elle poursuit sa route sans terme. Il en est ainsi de tout ce que nous voyons comme de tout ce que nous ne voyons point.'
A lire et à re-lire!
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February 15, 2017Meterlinka sam otkrio u okviru svoje male kulturne ekspedicije po Belgiji. Između ostalog, blago sam opsednut belgijskim slikarstvom (i fudbalom :D), pa je na red došla i književnost. U srpskom prevodu, pored Meterlinka, našao sam još samo Šarla de Kostera, ali sam prednost dao prvom. Nobelovac je (1911), pa reko’ hajde, hah.
Kroz dvanaest poglavlja, Meterlink se u ovoj knjizi osvrće na nekoliko kulturnih i religijskih obrazaca kojima je kroz istoriju oblikovano ljudsko poimanje smrti (hrišćanska teologija u širem smislu, spiritizam, okultizam, reinkarnacija i dr). Pri iznošenju svojih zaključaka i sudova povremeno upućuje čitaoca na filozofiju Paskala, i – u nešto manjoj meri – Šopenhauera. Neretko citira i druge književnike (u ovom trenutku mogu da se setim samo Šekspira i Blejka). O stilu kojim piše ne mogu mnogo da kažem. Čitao sam (srpsko-)hrvatski prevod, jedini koji mi je bio dostupan (postoji samo jedan primerak, i nalazi se u Matici srpskoj). Bio mi je vrlo naporan za čitanje, i nisam mogao da održim koncentraciju sve vreme. Uglavnom, Meterlink je inače pisao i eseje, a ovaj tekst jeste naučno-književan u tom pogledu, pa recimo da bih i „Smrt”, uslovno, tako odredio. Samo ako bih morao da stvorim neki žanrovski okvir.
Na kraju, nisam saznao ništa novo, nije me ništa posebno oduševilo, nije me ništa iznenadilo. Tu i tamo, zaustavljao sam se na nekim rečenicama koju se mi se dopale, ali celokupan utisak nije snažan. Istovremeno, ne znam kako bih ocenio knjigu. Ne znam šta bi trebalo da postavim kao kriterijum, uzevši u obzir i vreme u kom je knjiga objavljena i činjenicu da ovu vrstu književnosti poznajem relativno slabo.
U svakom slučaju, drago mi je da sam pročitao knjigu. Nastaviću da čitam Meterlinka, i nastaviću da istražujem belgijsku kulturu, hah. A vama mogu samo da kažem da, ako vam Matica srpska nije blizu, nećete mnogo propustiti u slučaju da se ne dokopate ove knjige. (Sad sam upravo možda ocenio knjigu, hm.)
P.S.
„Fun fact” za koji sam saznao u poglavlju koje je Meterlink posvetio priči o medijumskom fenomenu: u nekom engleskom selu jedan čovek je, navodno, dobio poruku o planu za ubistvo našeg kralja Aleksandra i kraljice Drage, na osnovu čega je sastavljen zapisnik prema kom je on trebalo da u Londonu upozori jednog našeg ministra o toj opasnosti, te da ovaj o tome obavesti kralja i kraljicu.
Kroz dvanaest poglavlja, Meterlink se u ovoj knjizi osvrće na nekoliko kulturnih i religijskih obrazaca kojima je kroz istoriju oblikovano ljudsko poimanje smrti (hrišćanska teologija u širem smislu, spiritizam, okultizam, reinkarnacija i dr). Pri iznošenju svojih zaključaka i sudova povremeno upućuje čitaoca na filozofiju Paskala, i – u nešto manjoj meri – Šopenhauera. Neretko citira i druge književnike (u ovom trenutku mogu da se setim samo Šekspira i Blejka). O stilu kojim piše ne mogu mnogo da kažem. Čitao sam (srpsko-)hrvatski prevod, jedini koji mi je bio dostupan (postoji samo jedan primerak, i nalazi se u Matici srpskoj). Bio mi je vrlo naporan za čitanje, i nisam mogao da održim koncentraciju sve vreme. Uglavnom, Meterlink je inače pisao i eseje, a ovaj tekst jeste naučno-književan u tom pogledu, pa recimo da bih i „Smrt”, uslovno, tako odredio. Samo ako bih morao da stvorim neki žanrovski okvir.
Na kraju, nisam saznao ništa novo, nije me ništa posebno oduševilo, nije me ništa iznenadilo. Tu i tamo, zaustavljao sam se na nekim rečenicama koju se mi se dopale, ali celokupan utisak nije snažan. Istovremeno, ne znam kako bih ocenio knjigu. Ne znam šta bi trebalo da postavim kao kriterijum, uzevši u obzir i vreme u kom je knjiga objavljena i činjenicu da ovu vrstu književnosti poznajem relativno slabo.
U svakom slučaju, drago mi je da sam pročitao knjigu. Nastaviću da čitam Meterlinka, i nastaviću da istražujem belgijsku kulturu, hah. A vama mogu samo da kažem da, ako vam Matica srpska nije blizu, nećete mnogo propustiti u slučaju da se ne dokopate ove knjige. (Sad sam upravo možda ocenio knjigu, hm.)
P.S.
„Fun fact” za koji sam saznao u poglavlju koje je Meterlink posvetio priči o medijumskom fenomenu: u nekom engleskom selu jedan čovek je, navodno, dobio poruku o planu za ubistvo našeg kralja Aleksandra i kraljice Drage, na osnovu čega je sastavljen zapisnik prema kom je on trebalo da u Londonu upozori jednog našeg ministra o toj opasnosti, te da ovaj o tome obavesti kralja i kraljicu.
September 10, 2023
During September and October, I tend to read a lot of horror stories, and I realize that those of us seasoned fans of the genre have a bit of an advantage over others when it comes to fear of death. Not only does the often gruesome nature of horror tend to desensitize one against dangers, but the often satirical and comedic nature associated with the genre's violence and death tends to prepare us for the inevitable with a bit of swagger. Also, many horror stories have a supernatural element, whether it be ghosts or demons, ghouls and vampires, or any number of immortal beings of all shapes and sizes whose tragedy is that they can't share in the blissful union that is the afterlife. These kinds of stories take for granted that there actually is a kind of conscious existence waiting for us once we shed our mortal coil. Even if you are not religious at all, the idea that we are more than just our physical bodies is engrained in our worldview, and this is true across many cultures. So as presented in much of our horror stories throughout history, the idea of death is not very scary.
Enter Maurice Maeterlinck, Belgian playwright, Nobel-prize winner, and overall smart bastard. Like most of us, he too stopped to think whether our cultural mores about death had any merit, and so he sat down and tried to reason through it. The result is "La Morte," an essay published in 1911 which was translated to English as "Our Eternity" in 1913 along with a more famous and accessible version titled simply "Death."
Maeterlinck tries to take a logical approach to the greatest fear of humanity. He says that apart from the various religious beliefs throughout the world in an afterlife, there is no reason to assume that there is one. At least not in the sense that we retain our current consciousness and memories throughout eternity. But there is also no reason to assume we will be totally annihilated either, falling into a dreamless sleep from which there is no awakening--essentially becoming nothing.
Having an ego, a sense of self, implies limits. Our egos are actually not capable of understanding infinity, so he does not endeavor to guess what it may be like. He does think that if we were to retain our full consciousness without our bodies to control, that would be a kind of hell. But scientifically, the complex sensations that make up our consciousness is a result of the functions of physical structure of our brains and bodies, and so it makes no sense that we would have any kind of ego after death. He does surmise that energy is conserved, and that thought will persist. And just as our sense of self grows and develops in a long series of encounters and experience with the world, so we may travel through an infinity of endless thought, perhaps to continuing to grow and expand in endless wisdom.
At least I think that's what he is saying. This book is definitely one that will award repeat consultation. But one thing that is clear, he does not believe we are destined to go through St. Peter's pearly gates and live among the clouds retaining all our memories in everlasting happiness. In some ways, that seems just, because what about babies or even stillborns who died before any development of an ego narrative? What about other forms of life? Is my pet cat, who clearly has an ego, doomed to oblivion and simple non-existence after years of love, affection, and pain, of learning about his environment and capable of some modicum of expansion of understanding? Rather, Maeterlinck concludes that whatever consciousness we bring to infinity from our various lives will contribute to a vast neuronal network and continue to expand, if not in happiness, with "an indifference that is higher and purer than joy."
Last year, I read a philosophy compilation called "The Metaphysics of Death" that tried to minutely analyze what lies outside the circle of life. Ultimately, the conclusions were not much different than what we find in this short and beautifully written monograph--we don't really know what happens to our sense of self, our memories, our ability to make new experiences after our bodies cease to function. Period.
Horror writers will continue to exploit our inherent fear of the ultimate unknown that we all must inevitably face. Some do it better than others. Check out Stephen King's "Revival" for one of the scariest visions of what becomes of us after death, just to name an example. It is natural for us to be scared. All living things have an innate fear of non-existence, even if they don't contemplate death like we cursed humans do. So books like this are not necessarily the best escapist entertainment.
But it's fun to read how a great thinker approached the idea of infinity from a non-faith perspective over 100 years ago. And I think the resulting message in Maeterlinck's book is that we have an obligation to enjoy the life we are given, to take advantage of the fact that we do not have the neurology of a jellyfish, but human biology that is capable of reading, thinking, playing music, traveling, and doing whatever it can to expand knowledge and consciousness.
A perfect short supplement to your Halloween reading for you philosphers and poets.
Enter Maurice Maeterlinck, Belgian playwright, Nobel-prize winner, and overall smart bastard. Like most of us, he too stopped to think whether our cultural mores about death had any merit, and so he sat down and tried to reason through it. The result is "La Morte," an essay published in 1911 which was translated to English as "Our Eternity" in 1913 along with a more famous and accessible version titled simply "Death."
Maeterlinck tries to take a logical approach to the greatest fear of humanity. He says that apart from the various religious beliefs throughout the world in an afterlife, there is no reason to assume that there is one. At least not in the sense that we retain our current consciousness and memories throughout eternity. But there is also no reason to assume we will be totally annihilated either, falling into a dreamless sleep from which there is no awakening--essentially becoming nothing.
Having an ego, a sense of self, implies limits. Our egos are actually not capable of understanding infinity, so he does not endeavor to guess what it may be like. He does think that if we were to retain our full consciousness without our bodies to control, that would be a kind of hell. But scientifically, the complex sensations that make up our consciousness is a result of the functions of physical structure of our brains and bodies, and so it makes no sense that we would have any kind of ego after death. He does surmise that energy is conserved, and that thought will persist. And just as our sense of self grows and develops in a long series of encounters and experience with the world, so we may travel through an infinity of endless thought, perhaps to continuing to grow and expand in endless wisdom.
At least I think that's what he is saying. This book is definitely one that will award repeat consultation. But one thing that is clear, he does not believe we are destined to go through St. Peter's pearly gates and live among the clouds retaining all our memories in everlasting happiness. In some ways, that seems just, because what about babies or even stillborns who died before any development of an ego narrative? What about other forms of life? Is my pet cat, who clearly has an ego, doomed to oblivion and simple non-existence after years of love, affection, and pain, of learning about his environment and capable of some modicum of expansion of understanding? Rather, Maeterlinck concludes that whatever consciousness we bring to infinity from our various lives will contribute to a vast neuronal network and continue to expand, if not in happiness, with "an indifference that is higher and purer than joy."
Last year, I read a philosophy compilation called "The Metaphysics of Death" that tried to minutely analyze what lies outside the circle of life. Ultimately, the conclusions were not much different than what we find in this short and beautifully written monograph--we don't really know what happens to our sense of self, our memories, our ability to make new experiences after our bodies cease to function. Period.
Horror writers will continue to exploit our inherent fear of the ultimate unknown that we all must inevitably face. Some do it better than others. Check out Stephen King's "Revival" for one of the scariest visions of what becomes of us after death, just to name an example. It is natural for us to be scared. All living things have an innate fear of non-existence, even if they don't contemplate death like we cursed humans do. So books like this are not necessarily the best escapist entertainment.
But it's fun to read how a great thinker approached the idea of infinity from a non-faith perspective over 100 years ago. And I think the resulting message in Maeterlinck's book is that we have an obligation to enjoy the life we are given, to take advantage of the fact that we do not have the neurology of a jellyfish, but human biology that is capable of reading, thinking, playing music, traveling, and doing whatever it can to expand knowledge and consciousness.
A perfect short supplement to your Halloween reading for you philosphers and poets.
July 13, 2023
Short and intriguing
November 8, 2020
Muy buenas noches a todos, ¿cómo los trata la existencia? Aguardo porque sea de la mejor manera; he tenido la oportunidad de leer el ensayo intitulado "La muerte" de Maurice Maeterlinck, quien también fue acreedor al premio Nobel de Literatura en el año 1911.
En el texto, narra lo que tantos nos interrogamos al menos una vez en la vida: el óbito. ¿A dónde nos dirigimos cuando partimos de este mundo? ¿Qué es? ¿Qué no es? ¿Por qué nacemos, vivimos, nos reproducimos o fenecemos? Maeterlinck, de manera respetuosa y siempre responsable, procuró elucidar conceptos que a menudo se leían más el rubros de ocultismo; inclusive, esta palabra era para algunos algo execrable de mencionar.
Por eso, Maurice Maeterlinck se dedicó a divulgar la relevancia de saber lo que nos circunda; más allá de religiones, credos, ideologías y demás, se trata siempre de hacer asequible un conocimiento para que cada ser discierna sobre éste acorde a su formación personal.
Recomiendo la lectura de este ensayo, no decepcionará e inclusive, pese a ser conciso y preciso, nos hará cavilar sobre lo que leemos y lo que somos; léanlo, por favor. Les deseo harto éxito, que gocen de cabal salud y felicidad.
En el texto, narra lo que tantos nos interrogamos al menos una vez en la vida: el óbito. ¿A dónde nos dirigimos cuando partimos de este mundo? ¿Qué es? ¿Qué no es? ¿Por qué nacemos, vivimos, nos reproducimos o fenecemos? Maeterlinck, de manera respetuosa y siempre responsable, procuró elucidar conceptos que a menudo se leían más el rubros de ocultismo; inclusive, esta palabra era para algunos algo execrable de mencionar.
Por eso, Maurice Maeterlinck se dedicó a divulgar la relevancia de saber lo que nos circunda; más allá de religiones, credos, ideologías y demás, se trata siempre de hacer asequible un conocimiento para que cada ser discierna sobre éste acorde a su formación personal.
Recomiendo la lectura de este ensayo, no decepcionará e inclusive, pese a ser conciso y preciso, nos hará cavilar sobre lo que leemos y lo que somos; léanlo, por favor. Les deseo harto éxito, que gocen de cabal salud y felicidad.
September 25, 2016
A thorough article about death and what would be beyond, which tries to emend the images of death among people, especially the religious ones. I wish the ordinary elders, particularly some of my own acquaintances could read such notions of the unknown state of death.
November 4, 2022
There is no reality, there is no true duration, save that between the cradle and the grave.
July 27, 2023
A good book, it surely requires a re-read, maybe at a different point in life, to understand the depth of the contents.
November 11, 2013
A very interesting and telling essay about death
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews