This series explores the bittersweet nature of romantic love and its capacity to
take us to soaring heights of ecstacy and joy, and depths of despair and loss. By
indulging in love’s theatrics, we explore the ability to transform our lives and
resurrect our souls.
I have taken the poem, Eros by Hilda Doolittle and broken it down into
seven sections, representing the seven spiritual steps to enlightenment. As the
author journeys the path of the affair, she experiences a personal transformation
that leads to greater understanding and intimacy with her own self.
The poem explores the wide range of emotion that captivates a lover, lost in
the abyss of erotic love. By segmenting the poem, I was able to delve more deeply
into the feelings present in just a few lines. These feelings move from anger,
despair, foolishness, and self doubt to desire, bliss, and finally, acceptance.
The poem Eros is taken from the ancient Greek myth Eros and Psyche, The
basis premise of the story is that the soul (Psyche) is transformed through finding
Desire (Eros) In the myth, Psyche must go through several trials before she is
reunited with Eros.
In Soul Mates, Thomas Moore states, “In moving further into soul we are
stepping in a positive way into unconsciousness.. Eros fits snugly into this picture
of soulmaking, for eros, too, leads us into mysterious places - unfamiliar feelings
and moods, unexpected relationships. and unfathomable complexities.
The passions of attraction, attachment, and jealousy initiate us deeper into
life and soul, where understanding is elusive and in the end unnecessary.”
In the first line, the poet queries, “Where is he (Eros) taking us now that he
has turned back?” and through all that she experiences, she finds resolution,
summed up in the last line: “To sing love, love must first shatter us.