A major theme throughout “Twenty-five” that I have noticed was the idea of connection, or being connected. In the first stanza we see that Tao Te Ching explain and define what Tao is. He says, “perhaps it is the mother of ten thousand things,” meaning that Tao is the creator of the universe and everything connects back to Tao. In the third stanza I quote, “[Tao, Heaven, Earth and the king] are the four great powers of the universe.” These four powers are what rule the universe side by side as seen in the next stanza- “Man follows Earth. Earth follows heaven. Heaven follows the Tao. Tao follows what is natural.” Tao is the mother of many things and, with Tao, 3 other forces (Earth, heaven and the king) govern and run the universe. Everything in the universe is connected to these powers, almost in a cycle or hierarchy.
Tao- Twenty Five
February 2, 2017 Written by dy154836 | 4 Comments
Categories: Uncategorized
4 responses so far ↓
f.zaman1 // Feb 2nd 2017 at 7:29 pm
I don’t think this poem could have been interpreted any better than you already have. Originally I had a little trouble understanding who exactly the Tao was, but after your clarification of it by mentioning the definition that it is the mother of ten thousand things, I got the gist of it. In other words, the Tao is similar to a God being the creator of the universe with powers that control it. I also applaud the last sentence of your interpretation where you refer the connection of the Tao’s powers as a hierarchy. I very much agree with this statement and can absolutely see your point in mentioning it.
j.devine // Feb 2nd 2017 at 7:39 pm
I felt the theme of connection or being connected throughout the poem as well, and I thought the quotes you used were very appropriate for your argument. I like the way you touched on the author’s idea that everything comes back to Tao as if this force is the end all be all of the world. I also noticed that the comparison of Tao to a “mother” gives the reader a sense that Tao is nurturing and giving of life. This idea of Tao being a creator or mother of the world brings back the theme you mentioned of connectivity. I think your mentioning of the 3 forces running the universe was an effective way to tie your claim together at the end. Overall, I think you supported your ideas on the theme of this poem very well.
r.klamen // Feb 3rd 2017 at 12:11 pm
I really appreciate the way that you interpreted this poem because I had a hard time understanding it myself. It’s interesting because it talks of Tao’s greatness, but to bring in connections is a whole different way of looking at it. Because, in essence that’s really what it is, the greatness of a leader is not in a vacuum. His greatness depends on the connection with followers. So, as I looked at the poem, I saw it as one figure’s greatness, but I love that you took it to mean connection. Looking at one’s greatness as a connection with followers is a much deeper and real way to look at it.
a.wang10 // Feb 3rd 2017 at 12:55 pm
While I was looking for a poem to post about, I came across this poem and had a hard time interpreting it, maybe because I didn’t understand who Tao was. But as I started to read this poem, I did sense the theme of connection going on. One thing connects to another and yes, just like you stated “Everything in the universe is connected,” which is true one thing leads to another. Overall, this was well put with your interpretation and I agree with you on your ideas.
You must log in to post a comment.