The Meaning of What Are Years? by Marianne Moore :: Poems, Poetry Analysis

In the poem What Are old age?, Moore clearly expresses her perception of life.Moore states that no one can truly translate the nature of their guilt or innocence. Everyone is naked to the dangers of existence. Moore defines courage as steadfast doubt, having the ability, or the the strength of spirit, to keep going even when defeated. To be strong, one must assume their own mortality. One must accept the reality of death and yet keep fighting to live. Although we are all(prenominal) imprisoned in a world of mortality, we must fight every day to give meaning to our life. We must live as if we were neer going to dieMoore begins the last stanza with an ambiguous So. Although one has a heightened awareness of mortality, one behaves, one keeps the ego disciplined. This is the same concept as that of the caged bird who, though held captive in a cruelly gauzy space, continues to sing with all his heart. Despite the birds lack of satisfaction because of his loss of flight of sta irs and freedom, he knows joy.