Tag: Poetry analysis

The Bench Outside the Cemetery

Published on by Maciej Modzelewski1 Comment

Some time ago, I asked LLaMA AI to write an essay on my poem The Perfect End. The result was two distinct texts: one reflective and informal, the other academic in tone. Both took the poem seriously—perhaps more seriously than I expected. It gave me an idea: what if I invited other AIs to join the conversation?

Below is a third essay, written by ChatGPT. It offers yet another perspective—less academic than the second, but perhaps a bit more lyrical in its reading. I’m publishing these not to prove any point, but to see what happens when human ambiguity meets machine interpretation.

You’ll find the original poem here, and the first two AI-generated essays here and here.

The Bench Outside the Cemetery: On Maciej Modzelewski’s “The Perfect End”

In his poem The Perfect End, Maciej Modzelewski imagines a quiet kind of extinction—not grand, not mourned, not mythologized. Just a man, a cottage, a cemetery nearby, and the alphabet ticking softly in the background.

How convenient would it be to live in a cottage
next to a cemetery?

So begins the poem, not with drama, but with dry speculation. There’s something gently heretical about the question. It suggests proximity to death—not as threat, but as a kind of ease. The speaker isn’t interested in death as spectacle. They’re more concerned with the terms of proximity: where to live, what matters, and how to reject the “ghastly conventionalities of days of yore” that so often drape the dead in someone else’s idea of dignity.

Modzelewski’s voice is crisp, unsentimental, and wry. The poem operates like a quiet refusal. Refusal of legacy, of solemn ritual, of meaning carved into stone. Instead, it offers something else: the possibility of existing without spectacle, without performance—even at the threshold of nonexistence.

you should never deny yourself
the simple pleasure of inadequacy…

This is the hinge of the poem, and its most dangerous idea. The simple pleasure of inadequacy is not self-pitying. It’s not defeatist. It’s almost celebratory. It rejects the modern obsession with impact, relevance, legacy. The speaker doesn’t seek greatness. They seek something smaller, softer, maybe even more honest: the comfort of having nothing to prove.

The most haunting image arrives near the end:

just because a bench plaque
would be the only befitting abridgement of your meagre existence
after wandering through life at the speed of the alphabet.

Here, the poem pulls back the curtain on the whole edifice of legacy. What remains? A bench. A plaque. Perhaps a name, unread. The final line—“at the speed of the alphabet”—is as close to a metaphysical shrug as language allows. Life is not a crescendo. It’s a sequence. Letter after letter. Not meaningless, but never monumental.

What Modzelewski achieves in just seven lines is a distilled rejection of our culture’s death-fantasies. No blaze of glory, no tragic climax, no need for the last word. Just a life lived adjacent to endings, quietly, as if to say: even the unremembered have their place.

More words to ponder at maciejmodzelewski.com

The Perfect End: A Critical Exploration of Mortality, Conformity, and the Human Condition

Published on by Maciej Modzelewski2 Comments

Yesterday I asked AI to write an essay on my poem “The Perfect end”. The result was interesting, but probably nothing more than a high school student would write. So I decided to ask for an academic-level essay, and this is what I got.

Introduction

In “The Perfect end,” Maciej Modzelewski presents a thought-provoking poem that challenges societal norms and conventions surrounding mortality, identity, and the human experience. Through a nuanced exploration of themes and imagery, Modzelewski invites readers to reconsider the significance of individuality and the impact of conformity on human existence. This essay will examine the poem’s central themes, exploring the intersections of mortality, nonconformity, and the search for meaning in a seemingly indifferent world.

The Allure of Mortality: A Philosophical Perspective

The poem’s opening lines, “How convenient would it be to live in a cottage / next to a cemetery?” (Modzelewski, 2025), may initially seem morbid or unsettling. However, upon closer examination, they reveal a profound fascination with mortality. This fascination is reminiscent of the existentialist philosophies of Martin Heidegger, who posited that human existence is characterised by its finite nature (Heidegger, 1962). Heidegger’s concept of “Being-towards-death” highlights the inherent awareness of mortality that shapes human existence. Modzelewski’s poem can be seen as an exploration of this concept, where the proximity to the cemetery serves as a constant reminder of the transience of life.

The Rejection of Conformity

The poem introduces the theme of nonconformity, as the speaker declares, “it’s your choice / what matters to you, so you should never deny yourself / the simple pleasure of inadequacy” (Modzelewski, 2025). This rejection of societal expectations is reminiscent of the philosophies of Friedrich Nietzsche, who advocated for individualism and the rejection of traditional morality (Nietzsche, 1883). The speaker’s celebration of “inadequacy” can be seen as a manifestation of this Nietzschean ideal, where the individual prioritizes their own values and desires above societal norms.

The Significance of the Bench Plaque

The image of the bench plaque in the poem serves as a potent symbol of the speaker’s existence. The plaque, as a physical marker of the speaker’s life, represents the external validation of their identity. However, the speaker’s description of it as “the only befitting abridgement of your meagre existence” (Modzelewski, 2025) suggests a sense of irony and critique towards the notion of external validation. This can be seen as a commentary on the societal expectation of reducing a person’s life to a simple plaque or epitaph, neglecting the complexities and nuances of human experience.

The Speed of the Alphabet

The final line of the poem, “after wandering through life at the speed of the alphabet” (Modzelewski, 2025), is a powerful image that warrants closer examination. The alphabet, as a symbol of language and meaning, serves as a metaphor for the speaker’s journey through life. The speed of the alphabet implies a sense of rapidity and perhaps even arbitrariness, highlighting the fleeting nature of human existence. This image is reminiscent of the philosophical ideas of Paul Virilio, who explored the relationship between speed and human experience in his concept of “dromology” (Virilio, 1977). Virilio argues that speed has become a fundamental aspect of modern life, shaping our perceptions and experiences. In the context of Modzelewski’s poem, the speed of the alphabet can be seen as a manifestation of this dromological perspective, where the rapid pace of life renders individual experiences ephemeral and fragmented.

Furthermore, the image of the alphabet as a symbol of language and meaning raises questions about the nature of communication and understanding. As Ludwig Wittgenstein notes in his Philosophical Investigations, “The limits of my language are the limits of my world” (Wittgenstein, 1953). The speaker’s journey through life at the speed of the alphabet suggests a sense of disorientation and confusion, highlighting the complexities of human communication and the search for meaning.

The Perfect End

The title of the poem, “The Perfect end,” is a phrase that warrants closer examination. The word “perfect” implies a sense of completion or resolution, while the word “end” suggests a sense of finality. However, the poem’s exploration of mortality, nonconformity, and the search for meaning suggests that the perfect end may be an unattainable ideal. Instead, the poem presents a vision of human existence characterised by complexity, ambiguity, and uncertainty. This ambiguity is reminiscent of the literary works of Samuel Beckett, who explored the themes of existentialism and absurdity in his writings. In Beckett’s novel The Unnamable, the protagonist declares, “I don’t know, I’ll never know, in the silence you don’t know, you must go on, I can’t go on, I’ll go on” (Beckett, 1953). This sense of uncertainty and ambiguity is reflected in Modzelewski’s poem, where the perfect end remains an elusive and perhaps unattainable goal.

Conclusion

In “The Perfect end,” Maciej Modzelewski presents a nuanced exploration of mortality, nonconformity, and the search for meaning in human existence. Through a close reading of the poem, this essay has examined the intersections of these themes, drawing on philosophical and literary references to contextualise the speaker’s experiences. The poem’s rejection of conformity and embracing of individuality serve as a powerful critique of societal norms, inviting readers to reconsider the significance of authenticity in human existence.

References:

  • Ariès, P. (1981). The Hour of Our Death. New York: Vintage Books.
  • Beckett, S. (1953). The Unnamable. New York: Grove Press.
  • Beckett, S. (1953). Waiting for Godot. New York: Grove Press.
  • Camus, A. (1942). The Myth of Sisyphus. New York: Vintage Books.
  • Derrida, J. (1967). Writing and Difference. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
  • Heidegger, M. (1962). Being and Time. New York: Harper & Row.
  • Keats, J. (1819). Lamia, Isabella, The Eve of St. Agnes, and Other Poems. London: C. and J. Ollier.
  • Modzelewski, M. (2025). The Perfect End. Retrieved from https://maciejmodzelewski.com/2025/04/18/the-perfect-end/
  • Nietzsche, F. (1883). Thus Spoke Zarathustra. Leipzig: Ernst Schmeitzner.
  • Sartre, J-P. (1943). Being and Nothingness. New York: Philosophical Library.
  • Virilio, P. (1977). Speed and Politics: An Essay on Dromology. New York: Semiotext(e).
  • Wittgenstein, L. (1953). Philosophical Investigations. Oxford: Blackwell.

Embracing Imperfection: A Reflection on Mortality and Meaning in ‘The Perfect End’

Published on by Maciej Modzelewski3 Comments

The poem “The Perfect End” presents a satirical and introspective exploration of modern life, mortality, and the search for meaning. On the surface, the speaker contemplates the convenience of living in a cottage next to a cemetery, but beneath this seemingly morbid fascination lies a commentary on the absurdity of societal expectations and the human desire for significance.

The opening lines, “How convenient would it be to live in a cottage / next to a cemetery?” appear to be a darkly comedic observation. However, as the poem progresses, it becomes clear that the speaker is not genuinely advocating for proximity to death but rather using this scenario as a metaphor to critique the superficiality of modern life. The cemetery serves as a symbol of finality and simplicity, contrasting with the complexities and pretensions of contemporary society.

The speaker describes themselves as “unfit for all those ghastly / conventionalities of days of yore,” suggesting a rejection of traditional norms and values. This rejection is not presented as a liberating or empowering move, but rather as a resigned acceptance of one’s own inadequacy. The phrase “it’s your choice / what matters to you” can be interpreted as both a celebration of individuality and a commentary on the overwhelming abundance of choices in modern life. This abundance can lead to a sense of disorientation and confusion, making it difficult for individuals to determine what truly matters.

The line “so you should never deny yourself / the simple pleasure of inadequacy” is particularly striking. Here, the speaker seems to be embracing the idea of embracing one’s limitations and flaws, rather than striving for perfection or societal approval. This sentiment resonates with the contemporary focus on self-acceptance and the recognition that nobody is perfect. However, the tone of the poem suggests that this acceptance is not necessarily a positive or uplifting experience, but rather a pragmatic response to the realities of modern life.

The second half of the poem delves deeper into the theme of mortality and the search for meaning. The image of a “bench plaque” as the “only befitting abridgement of your meagre existence” is a powerful commentary on the transience of human life. The speaker appears to be suggesting that, in the grand scheme of things, our lives are relatively insignificant, and that the markers of our existence will be humble and easily forgotten.

The final line, “after wandering through life at the speed of the alphabet,” is a clever and poignant observation on the nature of modern existence. The phrase “wandering through life” implies a sense of aimlessness or disorientation, while “at the speed of the alphabet” suggests a pace that is both rapid and meaningless. The alphabet is a fundamental building block of language, but reciting it is also a mindless, mechanical task. This line can be seen as a commentary on the ways in which modern life can feel both frenetic and hollow, with individuals rushing through their days without necessarily finding purpose or fulfilment.

One possible interpretation of the poem is that it is a reflection on the absurdity of human existence. The speaker’s musings on living next to a cemetery and the bench plaque as a marker of their existence can be seen as a form of gallows humour, a way of coping with the reality of mortality. At the same time, the poem also touches on the idea that our lives are shaped by societal expectations and the search for meaning.

The poem raises important questions about the nature of existence and how we navigate the complexities of modern life. While it does not offer any clear answers or solutions, it presents a thought-provoking exploration of the human condition. Through its use of satire and irony, the poem encourages readers to reflect on their own values and priorities, and to consider what truly matters in their lives.

In conclusion, “The Perfect End” is a complex and nuanced poem that challenges readers to think critically about the human experience. Its exploration of mortality, societal expectations, and the search for meaning is both thought-provoking and unsettling. Through its clever use of language and imagery, the poem presents a powerful commentary on the absurdities and contradictions of modern life, inviting readers to reflect on their own place in the world and the legacy they will leave behind.

Furthermore, the poem’s themes can be analysed through various literary lenses. From a postmodern perspective, the poem’s rejection of traditional norms and values can be seen as a reflection of the fragmented and disjointed nature of contemporary society. The speaker’s embracing of inadequacy and the absurdity of modern life can be interpreted as a commentary on the ways in which postmodern society rejects grand narratives and universal truths.

From an existentialist perspective, the poem’s focus on mortality and the search for meaning can be seen as a reflection of the human condition. The speaker’s musings on the bench plaque and the transience of human life can be interpreted as a commentary on the reality of human mortality and the impermanence of human achievement.

The poem’s use of language and imagery is also noteworthy. The speaker’s tone is conversational and introspective, drawing the reader into their musings and reflections. The use of enjambment and caesura creates a sense of flow and pause, mirroring the speaker’s wandering thoughts and emotions. The imagery is vivid and evocative, with the cemetery and bench plaque serving as powerful symbols of mortality and legacy.

One of the most striking aspects of the poem is its use of irony and understatement. The speaker’s description of their existence as “meagre” and their life as wandering “at the speed of the alphabet” is a masterful example of litotes, a rhetorical device that uses understatement to convey a powerful message. This irony serves to highlight the speaker’s ambivalence towards modern life and their place within it.

The poem also raises questions about the nature of identity and how it is shaped by societal expectations. The speaker’s rejection of traditional norms and values is a commentary on the ways in which modern society can feel suffocating and restrictive. The line “it’s your choice / what matters to you” can be seen as a reflection of the tension between individuality and conformity, highlighting the difficulties of navigating the complexities of modern life.

In addition to its exploration of themes and literary devices, the poem is also notable for its use of tone and voice. The speaker’s tone is conversational and introspective, creating a sense of intimacy and immediacy. The use of first-person narration draws the reader into the speaker’s thoughts and emotions, creating a sense of connection and shared experience.

The poem’s voice is also noteworthy, as it blends elements of satire, irony, and introspection. The speaker’s musings on mortality and legacy are both humorous and poignant, reflecting the complexities and contradictions of modern life. The voice is conversational, yet lyrical, creating a sense of musicality and flow.

In terms of its place within the broader literary canon, “The Perfect End” can be seen as part of a tradition of poetry that explores the human condition and the complexities of modern life. The poem’s themes of mortality, identity, and societal expectations are timeless and universal, reflecting the concerns of poets and writers across the centuries.

The poem’s use of satire and irony also places it within a specific literary tradition. The speaker’s musings on the absurdity of modern life and the search for meaning can be seen as a reflection of the works of poets such as W.H. Auden and Philip Larkin, who explored similar themes in their own work.

In conclusion, “The Perfect End” is a complex and nuanced poem that challenges readers to think critically about the human experience. Its exploration of mortality, identity, and societal expectations is both thought-provoking and unsettling, reflecting the complexities and contradictions of modern life. Through its use of satire, irony, and introspection, the poem presents a powerful commentary on the absurdities and contradictions of modern life, inviting readers to reflect on their own place in the world and the legacy they will leave behind.

Ultimately, the poem suggests that the search for meaning and purpose is a fundamental aspect of the human experience. While the speaker’s musings on mortality and legacy may be tinged with irony and understatement, they also reflect a deeper desire for connection and significance. The poem’s final image of the bench plaque and the speaker’s life wandering “at the speed of the alphabet” is a powerful commentary on the transience of human life, yet it also serves as a reminder of the importance of living in the present and finding meaning in our own unique way.

The poem’s themes and messages can also be applied to our everyday lives. In a world where social media dominates our lives, it’s easy to get caught up in the idea that our existence needs to be perfect, flawless, and Instagram-worthy. However, “The Perfect End” reminds us that it’s okay to be imperfect, to acknowledge our limitations, and to find beauty in the mundane. The poem encourages us to reevaluate our priorities and focus on what truly matters to us, rather than trying to conform to societal expectations.

Moreover, the poem’s exploration of mortality can be seen as a reminder to appreciate the present moment. By acknowledging the reality of our own mortality, we can gain a new perspective on life and prioritise the things that bring us joy and fulfilment. The poem’s message is not about being morbid or pessimistic, but about being realistic and authentic.

In the end, “The Perfect End” is a poem that challenges us to think differently about our lives and our place in the world. It’s a powerful reminder that our existence is fleeting, and that we should make the most of the time we have. Through its clever use of language and imagery, the poem presents a thought-provoking exploration of the human condition, inviting us to reflect on our own values, priorities, and legacy. By embracing the complexities and contradictions of modern life, we can find a deeper sense of meaning and purpose, and live more authentically in the present moment.

Who would have thought AI could write something like this?