Revisiting L'Envoi by Rudyard Kipling

When you first read "L'Envoi" by Rudyard Kipling, you connected it to the themes and messages found in Bless Me, Ultima.  It provided you with a lens of interpretation that helped you understand the meaning of the poem.


Read "L'Envoi" by Rudyard Kipling again.  After reading Life of Pi, you should have a new understanding of reason, belief, God, and stories in general.  Use this new knowledge and lens to discover a new meaning of the poem.


Post a comment about your new interpretation.




L'ENVOI

By: Rudyard Kipling (1919)

[To whom it may concern]

The smoke upon your Altar dies,

The flowers decay,

The Goddess of your sacrifice

Has flown away.

What profit then to sing or slay

The sacrifice from day to day?

"We know the Shrine is void," they said,

"The Goddess flown—

"Yet wreaths are on the altar laid—

"The Altar-Stone

"Is black with fumes of sacrifice,

"Albeit She has fled our eyes.

"For, it may be, if still we sing

"And tend the Shrine,

"Some Deity on wandering wing

"May there incline;

"And, finding all in order meet,

"Stay while we worship at Her feet."

Objectivity vs. Subjectivity

Soren Kierkegaard was a philosopher that challenged life's meaning and how we determine it.  This was during a time, in the 10th century, that championed rationality over any other subjective or unprovable belief.


Watch this video about rational thinking and the meaning of life.


Write a comment that explores the limits of rational thinking.


Consider these questions:
1.  Does rational thinking prevent meaning from life?
2.  Does subjectivity mean ignoring all rational tenants?
3.  Is it important to have meaning in life?
4.  What combination of rational thinking and subjectivity lead to a meaningful life?
5.  Is it possible, or safe, to completely ignore all rational thinking?
6.  Is it possible that subjectivity draws from rational thinking?

"Why am I so Brown?" by Trinidad Sanchez, Jr.

In Bless Me, Ultima, Antonio struggles with fitting in at school because of his cultural heritage (pg. 58-59).  Consider the "tristesa de la vida" that he feels.  What is this sadness and why does it exist?


Read the poem "Why am I so Brown?" by Trinidad Sanchez, Jr.  Think about how our cultural identity shapes who we are and how we interact in society.  Examine the pride and connection of an individual with culture in the poem.  Leave a post that analyzes the poems themes and use of diction to convey a message about heritage and how it interacts with society.

L'Envoi by Rudyard Kipling


After you finish reading the poem, post one question, comment, or observation.  This can include meaning, theme, modern interpretations, or connections to Bless Me, Ultima.  Your post must be made by 7:00 am on Tuesday.

L'ENVOI

By: Rudyard Kipling (1919)

[To whom it may concern]

The smoke upon your Altar dies,

The flowers decay,

The Goddess of your sacrifice

Has flown away.

What profit then to sing or slay

The sacrifice from day to day?

"We know the Shrine is void," they said,

"The Goddess flown—

"Yet wreaths are on the altar laid—

"The Altar-Stone

"Is black with fumes of sacrifice,

"Albeit She has fled our eyes.

"For, it may be, if still we sing

"And tend the Shrine,

"Some Deity on wandering wing

"May there incline;

"And, finding all in order meet,

"Stay while we worship at Her feet."