How to Live by Charles Webb

Literature and Poetry: Communication and Happiness

Literature is one of the most effective ways for us to hear about current problems around the world. Of the various literary genres that can be used today, it is worth noting that the status of poetry remains unaltered, given that it is one of the oldest forms of communication. The reader investigates Charles Webb’s poetry How to Live on this basis. I agree with the poet’s coverage of the meaning and way to have a happy life for it teaches us that they should not only have an optimistic outlook all of the time, but they should also have a positive attitude all of the time. but they should also associate with inspirational moments and inspiring characters.

Forgiveness and Letting Go

The primary justification based on the poem to support the thesis is that it is defined by the person’s ability to forgive those who wrong them. The writer affirms the need for avoiding grudge in life because it will haunt them and they might not thrive as they would if they had released the problem. It is a common occurrence to find that people are losing out on the positive things in life only because of the old negative grudges that do not have much impact on their life (Horowitz). The poet says, “Try not to lie; it sours the soul. But being a patsy sours it too. If you cause a car wreck, and aren’t hurt, but someone is, apologize silently. Learn from your mistake. Walk gratefully away” (Webb 18). It underscores the need for humbling down regardless of the efforts that one has ever shown because it would constitute wrong behavior. It teaches that one should be apologetic, in challenging and trying times as it would calm a tense situation. The author further provides the example of wrecking someone’s car and apologizing in silence especially when the other person is hurt in the process. In so doing, it would mean that the subject would avoid creating a commotion and complicate the situation further. It implies that by doing so, one would be creating a situation where they would even thrive in the negative and challenging times, and thus improve their lives further.

Focusing on the Positive

It is also worth highlighting that to live a more fulfilling life, we should capitate on the positive aspects of life and spend more of our time doing constructive things. It is undisputed that whatever one thinks, they are likely to engage in it. It thus follows that to live a vibrant lifestyle, we should focus more on what the benefiting things are and spend more of our time doing it (Horowitz). The poet covers this basis of supporting the theme in large sections of the poem to enable the reader to relate to their daily experiences. For example, the poet says ”Kick-box three days a week. Stay strong and lean. Go fly-fishing every chance you get, with friends who’ll teach you secrets of the stream. Play guitar in a rock band. Read Dostoyevsky, Whitman, Kafka, Shakespeare, Twain” (Webb 8). All these are segments of exploring one’s like and maximizing fully on them to get the best experience they would ever dream about. The kickboxing aspect, for example, is a sport that is popular among teenagers and in which participants are known to enjoy almost every time that they participate in it. It thus illustrates that to get a similar experience, one should be engaging in more frequent episodes of fun moments. Other examples of activities that are intended to create happy experiences from the excerpt involve going fishing and hanging out with friends, actions that are largely exploratory and adventurous in nature (Webb 16). The poet thus insists that to realize the full potential that the world offers, one ought to learn to capitalize on what they love and spend more time doing it.

Associating with Positive People

The last well-intentioned feature that is clear from the poem to support the idea that life is worth enjoying is associating oneself with powerful people and massive beliefs that further develop them to be positive people. It is highly likely that the type of people one hangs out with in the physical context will be the same from whom they emulate their behaviors. It is thus pointless to associated oneself with failure or controversies that appear to create conflicting and immoral experiences. It is for this reason that the author of the poem considers the need for associating oneself with the positive mentors and life conquerors. The poet asserts ‘Go to church if it helps you. Grow tomatoes to put store-bought in perspective. Listen to Elvis and Bach. Unless you’re tone deaf, own Perlman’s ”Meditation from Thais.” Don’t look for hidden meanings in a cardinal’s song’ (Webb 33). The point that is asserted in this context is that one should frequent how they relate with religion because it is known to comprise largely of people of morals and who have positive perceptions about life. The author also asserts that it is benefiting to learn from the experts such as Elvix and Bach, because from such heroes, they will be able to acquire a lot of positive aspects of life they would never have explored. It overall means that by engaging with positive people and mentors, life will be more enticing.

Personal Relatability and Agreement

The experiences that the author explores in the poem in the coverage of the theme constitute issues that I relate with in everyday life. I, therefore, support the ideas that the poem promotes in the poem including the need for being positive and relating with important people. I personally used to encourage myself that I would only engage with people who share with me inspirational books by great authors in the world. It is an alternative way of living a fulfilling life because it enables one to identity what they relate with better (Horowitz). I am also fond of avoiding drama because I trust that through the ability of controlling anger and emotions, any tense situations can be addressed and issues solved in a binding manner.

In Conclusion

In summary, the author underscores the subject of living a fulfilling life that explores all possibilities to the fullest to enable one realize maximum potential. The poet highlights three versions of enjoying life including avoiding dramatic confrontations, engaging in fun activities, and interacting with inspirational leaders and situations. The justifications, through the highlights of the poem, are further backed by my personal experience because I can recount with many of the proposals that the author illustrates. I, therefore, agree with the philosophy of living that the author explores because not only are they theoretically realistic but they are also practical from my personal experience.

Works Cited

Horowitz, Mitch. ”10 Positive-Thinking Books That Might Change Your Life.” The Huffington Post (2013): n. pag. Web.

Webb, Charles Harper. How to Live. Red Hen Press, 2006. Print.