... it also is demonstrative of what happens when we focus on ourselves, and not on what is truly going on. In essence, we become like Narcissus, gazing so long at ourselves that we fail to see the danger of such an action. Again, however, there is no resolution. Another ... Rilke wrote his as a lamentation. This view on the religious aspect of the afterlife also correlates to both Whitman and Rilke's views on death. Because transcendence was so easy to Whitman, death wasn't a frightening experience. In fact, he felt that "it is just as lucky to die [as it is to be born]," ... rather than ...

• Word Count: 2891
• Approx Pages: 12
• Grade Level: High School