Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"In Praise of Feeling Bad About Yourself" by Wis?awa Szymborska provides a complex exploration into the nature of morality, guilt, and what distinguishes humans from other animals. Szymborska employs the behaviors and instincts of various animals as a mirror to human actions, provoking us to consider the unique role that conscience plays in shaping our identities and ethical judgments.

The poem opens with a survey of animals indifferent to the moral ramifications of their actions. "The buzzard never says it is to blame. / The panther wouldn't know what scruples mean. / When the piranha strikes, it feels no shame." Each line serves as a reminder that animals operate mainly on instinct, with survival as the primary goal. In this context, notions of blame, scruples, or shame are not only irrelevant but nonexistent. Szymborska carefully selects her animals-a predatory bird, a big cat, a ferocious fish-to emphasize the raw, visceral nature of their actions.

Furthering this idea, the next stanzas add more animals-snakes, jackals, lions, lice, and killer whales-each dismissive of moral contemplation. The lines "Lions and lice don't waver in their course. / Why should they, when they know they're right?" specifically challenge human notions of morality. For these creatures, the idea of "right" and "wrong" does not come into play. Their actions are driven by instinctual necessity, not ethical dilemma.

However, Szymborska subtly changes the tone in the lines about killer whales, stating, "Though hearts of killer whales may weigh a ton, / in every other way they're light." The word "light" here carries a double meaning: it refers both to the absence of moral weight and possibly to a kind of innocence. In the animal kingdom, actions are unburdened by the complexities of ethical considerations that plague human consciousness.

The poem then narrows its focus to our own species, setting us apart by claiming that "among the signs of bestiality / a clear conscience is Number One." At first glance, this might seem counterintuitive: isn't a clear conscience a sign of ethical living? But Szymborska's point is far more nuanced. By setting human morality against the backdrop of natural, instinctual behavior, she suggests that our unique capacity for a "clear conscience"-or guilt, or ethical reflection-is both a blessing and a curse. It allows us to transcend pure instinct, to aspire toward ethical ideals, but it can also be manipulated or ignored, permitting acts of cruelty or immorality under the illusion of righteousness.

In effect, Szymborska reminds us that the very ability to feel bad about ourselves, to question and doubt our actions, is a distinctly human trait, one that separates us from other animals. But this self-awareness also confers upon us a significant responsibility to act ethically. The poem serves as a cautionary note about the ease with which humans can ignore or rationalize their own immoral actions, contrasting this moral flexibility against the straightforward, non-ethical existence of other animals. Thus, in praising the act of "feeling bad about yourself," the poet emphasizes the vital, if uncomfortable, role that guilt and self-doubt play in the quest for a more ethical and humane world."

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