"My Empire" My Reign Supreme

"My Empire"

By Kaveh Akbar

- A poem I wrote about the nature of how I got to writing this blog post is below

Procrastination is my curse,

a weight that pulls me down.

I vow to start the task at hand,

but somehow I am found

spinning in circles, aimless,

my to-do list ignored.

I tell myself I'll start tomorrow,

but tomorrow is outpoured

into an endless stream of nows,

a river that I cannot cross.

I'm stuck in this mire of delay,

my ambition at a loss.

But still I dream of better days,

of tasks completed with ease.

I long to break this habit, to find the will to please.

So I'll try once more to start,

to put procrastination to rest.

I'll take the first small step, and hope for the best.

--- P.S. This was rushed (this is not my best work - but it's work nonetheless)

The beauty of art lies in its ability to speak the unspoken, to express the inexpressible, and to evoke the emotions that words cannot reach. After reading the poem "My Empire" by Kaveh Akbar, I was able to take away the lesson that true power and understanding come not from apathy and detachment towards the suffering of others, but from empathy and compassion.

"My Empire" is a reflection on the nature of power, privilege, and suffering. The speaker, who is the ruler of an empire, acknowledges the cruelty inherent in their position, but also expresses contentment in having an empire. The poem explores the idea of prophets and their role in experiencing suffering, which the speaker finds to be a "waste." Additionally, within the poem is a reflection on the destructive nature of technological advancement and the knowledge it brings (e.g., "new missiles can detect a fly's heartbeat," "flies have hearts, one hundred and four cells big, that beat"). As a whole, the poem suggests that the speaker's detachment from the suffering around them, as a ruler of an empire, has negative consequences (through the suffering that was/is caused).

The ruler of an empire (the speaker), inherently, holds a position of power and privilege. The use of words such as "gilded frame" and "kneeling on coins" suggests that the speaker themselves are aware of their own privilege (and perhaps vanity). By describing themselves as "clueless as a pearl," the idea that they are not fully aware of the true nature of their status is emphasized. This is further corroborated in a different way by when the speaker brings up his belief that the "prophets came to participate in suffering as if to an amusement park", an idea that suggests that the speaker is aware of the misery around them, but is simultaneously detached from it. Such a line stands out because it highlight's the speaker's perspective on the role of prophets and their relationship to suffering. The metaphor of an amusement park suggests that the speaker views the prophets' participation ins suffering as a form of entertainment or spectacle, rather than a means of alleviating it. Such a moment is also a key shift in the poem, as it serves to bolster the central theme of the poem (which is suffering).

The title "My Empire" is significant in that it sets the context for the speaker's reflection on their experiences as the ruler of an empire. It highlights the possessive nature of the speaker's relationship with their "empire," suggesting that they view it as a personal possession or creation. Such a possessive relationship is further reinforced throughout the poem as the speaker states that "My empire made me happy because it was an empire and mine." The title also implies that the speaker has a sense of ownership and control over the empire and its citizens (which is further reinforced throughout the poem).

The poem's free verse structure gives it a natural, flowing rhythm. Each stanza builds on the previous one and reinforces the ideas behind the poem. Through the usage of similes (e.g., comparison of prophets suffering to an amusement park) and metaphors (e.g., speaker is "a minor deity"), more emphasis is placed on one of the key themes in the poem, which is suffering. The emperor's diction (the speaker) is characterized by the use of simple and direct language, with collective words like "gilded frame," "kneeling on coins," "minor deity," and "pile of rubble" creating a sense of disconnection and lack of comprehension of the true essence of power, privilege, and suffering. The central theme of the poem would most definitely be "suffering," seeing as how often ideas are tied back to it.

The poem captures with pristine clarity the complex, yet pervasive, forces of power, privilege, and suffering. With masterful intellect, imagery full of desolate detachment is wielded to articulate how little comprehension many of us truly have regarding the underlying pain of such stark divisiveness. Despite this, a lingering melancholy--as if a dirge--counters its powerful words and leaves me wondering if any resolution can be found amidst such starkness. Powerful, thought-provoking, yet sorrowful. Another brilliant piece from Kaveh Akbar.