During this time of year in Vermont, I get to watch the sunrise over the mountains on my way to work. It’s so beautiful, and I feel lucky to see the sunrise each day.
It’s always difficult to tell if a picture is showing a sunrise or sunset, but I chose images that I thought were more likely sunrise: men exercising, in a towel after a morning shower, or looking towards the dawn of a new day.
This week has felt like a long, never ending week, but now it’s almost over. Today will be busy, but hopefully, not as stressful as the rest of this week has been. I have classes to teach today, but that’s not a big deal. It’s just that I try not to schedule multiple classes on the same day for different professors. These classes were easy to prepare for, so that’s not the issue. It’s more of a time thing. I have to pull the objects out of storage, so when it’s two different classes, that can be a lot of objects. After the classes are finished, I also have to put everything away. That might not sound like much, but the classes are in two different rooms on opposite sides of the museum with a small window of time between the two classes. Oh, and there is a third class going on at the same time as my second class, so I had to teach a coworker how to teach it.
When I leave work today at 4 pm, I will be ready for a relaxing and stress free weekend. 🤞
Other than teaching my regular class today and setting up the classroom for two classes tomorrow, I’m not overly busy or stressed about today. Yesterday was the hump I had to get over this week, and everything went just fine. In fact, it went much better than I expected.
Today’s bigger task is heading down to Dartmouth’s hospital to get a Botox treatment for my migraines. Usually, I go to their outpatient clinic, but my nurse practitioner who does my Botox did not have an open appointment at the clinic. She knows the Botox tends to wear off after 10 weeks and doesn’t last the full 12 weeks, so she did not want me to wait any longer than 12 weeks. (Insurance won’t pay for it unless it’s at least 12 weeks.) So, she had the person scheduling appointments to see if she had any appointments open at the hospital. She actually said, “If you can’t find an appointment, just schedule him for my lunch hour.” I thought that was very nice of her. The Botox appointments usually don’t last more than 10 minutes.
I know I promised Wednesday posts about male nudes in art throughout history, so I apologize that there won’t be one this week. I have been swamped at work all week and too exhausted when I get home to spend the time preparing a post. It’s been the week from hell, and nothing seems to be going like it should. It’s getting to me mentally too, as I’ve been feeling depressed and anxious. I have an event that I organized happening today, and it seems like everything associated with it has been made more difficult than it should have been. Once today is over, I can breathe a little easier, but the rest of the week is just as busy as the week has been so far. I can’t wait until Saturday when I’ll finally get a day of rest.
Life
By Edith Wharton
Life, like a marble block, is given to all,
A blank, inchoate mass of years and days,
Whence one with ardent chisel swift essays
Some shape of strength or symmetry to call;
One shatters it in bits to mend a wall;
One in a craftier hand the chisel lays,
And one, to wake the mirth in Lesbia’s gaze,
Carves it apace in toys fantastical.
But least is he who, with enchanted eyes
Filled with high visions of fair shapes to be,
Muses which god he shall immortalize
In the proud Parian’s perpetuity,
Till twilight warns him from the punctual skies
That the night cometh wherein none shall see.
About the Poem
Edith Wharton’s poem “Life” is a reflective and philosophical piece that explores the nature of human existence, fate, and the passage of time. Wharton, best known for her novels that critique societal constraints, brings a similar depth and introspection to her poetry. The poem suggests that life does not unfold according to human expectations or desires. Wharton explores the contrast between human ambition and the unpredictability of life, a theme echoed in her novels like The House of Mirth.
There is a tone of resignation, as if the speaker has come to terms with life’s unpredictability. This reflects Wharton’s broader worldview—one shaped by personal loss, societal constraints, and the limits imposed on individuals, especially women. The poem may express skepticism about human agency, similar to existential or fatalistic themes. Wharton often wrote about characters who struggled against their circumstances, much like the speaker in “Life”.
Wharton’s “Life” is a poignant meditation on disillusionment, fate, and the passage of time. The poem’s reflective tone aligns with her broader literary themes—the limits of personal choice, the illusions of control, and the inevitability of change.
About the Poet
Edith Wharton (1862–1937) was an American novelist, short story writer, and poet best known for her incisive critiques of Gilded Age society and her exploration of themes like social class, gender roles, and personal freedom. Born into New York high society, she was well-acquainted with the restrictive customs of the upper class, which she later dissected in novels such as The House of Mirth (1905) and The Age of Innocence (1920), the latter of which won her the Pulitzer Prize, making her the first woman to receive the award for fiction.
Beyond her fiction, Wharton was also a travel writer, designer, and war correspondent during World War I, for which she was honored by the French government. Her works often compared European and American cultures, reflecting her life as an expatriate in France. Though primarily known for her novels, she also wrote poetry, including works like “Life” and “A Meeting,” which explore existential themes with the same elegance and restraint found in her prose. Wharton’s legacy endures as one of the most significant literary voices of early 20th-century America.
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Joe
The Closet Professor 