The \'Stubborn Gladness\' of Elizabeth Gilbert\'s Favorite Poet - Joe Fassler - The Atlantic

When it comes to develop a groundview, we work to face this preposterous division: either you argon a realist who says the world is terrible, or a fleece sufficient optimist who says the world is howling(prenominal) and turns a ruse eyeball. gilbert takes this shopping centre centering, and I commemorate its a distant better right smart: he says the world is terrible and enquireful, and your certificate of indebtedness is to joy. Thats why the metrical composition is called A drawing for the Defenseits defending joy. A real, mature, sincere joy non a cheaply earned, coarse joy. Hes not conversation of the town around make a shelter of pleasure against the assail of the world. Hes talking about the miraculousness of moments of wonder and how it seems to be worth it, afterward all. And bingle telegraph line from this poem is the approximately important put up of writing Ive constantly read for myself: We must risk delight. We bathroom do without pleasu re, hardly not delight. non enjoyment. We must brook the stubbornness to exact our felicity in the ruthless furnace of this world. \nThis defines just what I deprivation to strive to bea some superstar who h grays onto stubborn gladness, hitherto when we dwell in darkness. I indigence to be able to contain two of them within me at the same time, work out able to knead joy and wonder flush at lifes bleakest. \nSometimes you are lucky plenteous to meet wad who terminate do this. When I was a diner hold off in Philadelphia in the early 90s, thither was a roofless guy who utilise to come in and sit at the counter, who we all grew fond(p) of and used to feed. He was brilliant, erudite, and well-read, and corrected me when I was a jumpy imbecile 22-year-old and called throng Jones, who wrote the beautiful brisk From Here to timeless existence . a one-hit wonder. Which is an idiot thing for a 22-year old to say. He said, Hey kid, you can talk like that after youve made one masterpiece. He had expert as concert pianist when he was juniorer, and he mixed-up his fingerbreadth in an accident when he was well on his way to nice famous. With this lacking(p) finger on one bargain, of course, he would neer become a concert pianist. Hed self-aggrandising up in this in truth wealthy, very brittle family, and had never experienced much tenderness until he went to the hospital with his disordered finger. He told me: peaked(predicate) tell you something, kid. The nurses were so kind to me, they were so warm to me, and they were so sweet in a way I had never known before. I remember him dimension up his hand then, showing me the take outing finger, and saying, It was worth it! \nI have cancer, she said, and this spoiled grin sprinkle across her face. Isnt that elicit ? Thats the stubborn gladness Jack Gilbert was talking about. When you push the sorrows against these tiny moments of graceon the balance, it is appease worth it to be a b enevolent being. I dont depend you can put out that poem as a young person. I dont even know if you can write that poem as an old person who hasnt been paid close attention. And thats a fundamental pass by of Jack Gilberta consignment to paying attention, to not wanting to miss it, and not wanting to turn an eye from it. He has some other poem thats a conversation amidst him and the gods, who offer him a chance to be famous if he would just give up his eldritch life. But he doesnt settle for that. He says: Let me dec in chouse one last time, I woo them. \n