We must love one another or die.

ramble , september 10 , 2025

A line from the poem September 1, 1939. You can read the full poem here if you haven't read it before! I had to read it for my transatlantic literature class a while ago, but this line has always stuck with me. It makes me tear up whenever I even read it. I think it's up there with my favorite lines from poetry.

All I have is a voice
To undo the folded lie,
The romantic lie in the brain
Of the sensual man-in-the-street
And the lie of Authority
Whose buildings grope the sky:
There is no such thing as the State
And no one exists alone;
Hunger allows no choice
To the citizen or the police;
We must love one another or die.

The poem obviously has a lot of social commentary elements -- It was written after Nazi Germany's invasion of Poland, which ultimately marked the beginning of World War 2. The poem's also been cited and used by people a lot in times of deep crisis, namely after 9/11. Something I find funny is that the poet, W.H Auden, actually later on stated he hated the line, and "loathed" the poem entirely, saying it was "trash." I find that really funny.

Not to talk about myself, but I wonder if one of the reasons I resonate so deeply with this line is more internal, than external? Obviously, we are lacking in community. We live in an incredibily individualistic culture that favors independence and ambition above little else, and it's difficult to really love one another, but many essays have been written about that, and it's a bit difficult to self reflect upon. There's not much to do other than to get to know your neighbors, make community. Become less isolationist. etc.

But, plurality wise, internally wise, in an internal sense of community within oneself, my warren struggles. We do love one another, but it's difficult to be in complete community and communication. It's oftentimes, in external, physical communities, that they come together in times of great upset and hardship. We can see this with The Great Depression, or with COVID. It seems to be the opposite, for my mind. Which I suppose makes sense, considering the way that the mind typically functions. You don't oftentimes pull yourself together when things are tough. I'm not entirely sure what I'm getting at, here. I'll finish this later.