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LucyTodd
MrHendren
TransactionalEnglish
April2015

OnthePulseoftheMorning

MayaAngelou'spoem
OnthePulseoftheMorning
isfilledwithsymbolismand
metaphors.Therock,riverandtreeallrepresentsomethingmuchmorethantheirnatural
forms.Iseethispoemasamothertalkingtoherchild,trainingthemupinthewaythey
shouldgo.Itfeelsasifsheistellingherchildthefaultstheywillfindwiththeworldandwhat
todowiththem.Howtoloveall,nomatterthenationalityhavepeacenomatterthepastand
tostayrootedintheirfoundationsnomatterthestrife.Ifeelthisrelationshipisaccurate
becauseofthetitle,
OnthePulseofMorning
,whichIinterpretedasthebeginningoflife.To
havelifeyouneedapulseandthemorningisasymbolforabeginningsothetitlecould
actuallybereadabeginningtolife.Thisisasifthisyoungpersonisjuststartingofftheirlife
andthemotheristryingtoequipherchildforthefuture.
Ibelievetherockcouldbeviewedintwodifferentwaysalthoughyoucouldseeitasa
combinationofthetwo.TherockcouldrepresentGodcallingouttoustostandonthe
purposehehasmadeforusandnothideinthefearofwhatistocome."You,createdonlya
littlelowerthantheangels"isadirectquotefromPsalm8andstandingonafirmfoundationis
averybiblicalworldview.Therockcouldalsobeinterpretedaspride.Youneedtostandup
ontherockandbeproudofwhoyouareandwhatyouhavebeendestinedtodoandnothide
intheshadowswaitingforlifetopassyouby.
Ireallyseetheconnectionbetweenthefirsttwoparagraphsasbeingawarning.The
rock,riverandtreehavebeenaroundalongtimeandhaveseenanimals,culturesand


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dinosaurspassawayleavingbehindonly"drytokens.Thisfeelslikesomethingwecouldend
upbecomingifwedon'tstandontherock.Asifstayinghiddenintheshadowoftherockand
stayingignoranttowhathashappenedandishappeningwilljustleaveyouasdrytokensin
theendleavingbehindnothingofmeaning.
Therivercouldalsobeviewedintwolights.ItcouldbeseenasrepresentingtheHoly
Spiritwhichlivesinusandisthespiritthathelpsusdeterminerightfromwrong.Theriver
couldalsobeviewedasrepresentingpeace.Thiswholesectiontakesaboutthefaultsof
humansandourtendencytocausedisagreementsandstriveawayfrompeace.Ifeelasifthe
river,whenitcallsout

tocomeandrestbymyside,iscallingouttothenationstolaydown
theirarmsandrestinthepeacetheriverprovides.Theriver/HolySpiritiscallingouttoall
nations(asshownbythelistprovidedinthepoem)tocomeandenjoypeace,nonationhas
morerighttotheriverthananyother.That,withinitselfisaverypowerfulmessageourworld
needstohear.Therivernotonlyseemstocalloutforwarriorstostriveforpeacebutalsoto
travellerstorestbytheriverside.Thetravellersaretiredandweary,itseemsasiftheyhave
beentravellingyears(descendantspassed)inordertopaytheirdebts.Fromanonchristian
standpointyoumightthinkofthesedebtsasfinancial,butasachristianIseethesedebtsas
sinandthetravellersasthosetryingtoridthemselvesofthisburden.However,theriver
provideshopeforthesetravellersbystatingithasbeenpaidforallowingthewearytocome
andrest.
Thisthendirectlyleadsustothetree.Followingtheinterpretationoftheriverbeingthe
HolySpirit,thetreecouldbeviewedasJesusChrist.Ibelievethisisbecauseatreeisalsoa
namegiventothecrossJesusdiedonandthereferencetoyourpassagebeingpaidfor
reallylendsitselftotheinterpretationofthetreebeingJesus.AsitsaysinTitus
Hegavehis
lifetofreeusfromeverykindofsin,tocleanseus
andthisseemstobewhatthetreeis


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representinginthepoem.However,youcouldviewthetreeastheneedtobeplantedand
rootedinyourfoundation,hererootyourselfbyme.Actually,thetwoworkhandinhand,
becauseofwhatJesusdid,wearenowabletobefirmlyestablishedinourfoundations.We
canberootedinthepurposesandpromisesGodhasforus.
Thoughthispoemisfilledwithincredibleproverbsofdepthandmeaning,myfavourite
sectionisparagraph26.History,despiteitswrenchingpain,cannotbeunlived,andiffaced
withcourage,neednotbelivedagain.Thissectionissotrueandissomethingweshouldall
liveby.Weneedtolearntoputourpastbehindusnomatterthepain,andstriveonahead,
for,ifwedothiswithcourage,wewillnotrepeatthesamemistakesagain.Iveheardthe
sayingthosewhodontlearnfromhistoryaredoomedtorepeatitandthatisexactlywhat
thissectionissaying.Weneedtolearnfromthepastbutwealsoneedtoletitgoandmove
on.
Thepoemthenendsbeautifullyasittalksabouttakingourlifeandenjoyingit,not
beingstuckinyourpastandthatnomatterwhoyouare(Midasormendicant)yourlifehas
meaningandpurpose.So,whetheryoudecidetoviewthepoemasrepresentingGod,The
HolySpiritandJesusortheneedtohavepride,peaceandafirmfoundation(planted),the
messageispowerfulandthereissomethingforeveryonetocomeawaywith.
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