Les Murray

The Meaning of Existence

The Meaning of Existence - meaning Summary

Nonhuman Knowing Vs Speech

Murray contrasts nonverbal existence with human speech, arguing that everything except language "knows the meaning of existence." Nature and even the body enact existence directly and continuously, while the speaking mind interferes, creating an "ignorant freedom" that distances us from that lived meaning. The poem presents language as a human obstruction to participation in the simple, embodied knowledge demonstrated by trees, planets, and time.

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Everything except language knows the meaning of existence. Trees, planets, rivers, time know nothing else. They express it moment by moment as the universe. Even this fool of a body lives it in part, and would have full dignity within it but for the ignorant freedom of my talking mind.

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