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Emily Beesley PR1 ROUGH
Dealing With Uncertainties of the Past

“Do not brood over your past mistakes and failures as this will only fill your mind with grief, regret and depression. Do not repeat them in the future.” -Swami Sivananda. In the poem Itinerary, speaker Eamon Grennan demonstrates the ways in which individuals deal with the uncertainties of the past. The past has the ability to influence an individual to either move on despite the uncertainties and worries of the unknown, or to not move on at all. However it is important to do your best to move on and focus on the present and the future. This is also true in my own life. When faced with uncertainties of the past, an individual may choose a method of isolation because they are frightened to move on. They also may try to relive certain moments from the past in an attempt to find comfort in anything familiar to them. The individual will attempt to do so until they let go of the past and look at a broader perspective on life, which will assist them in moving on to see what the future holds.

In the poem, the speaker shows the importance of letting go of the past, despite the feelings of uncertainty that the past may bring, and how broadening your perspective can lead you to your future. The speaker begins in a place of pain and isolation. He has closed himself off due to his need to hold onto his past. The speaker then portrays the idea of broadening his point of view with a “wide angle lens” in order to seek a different and broader perspective on life. He later learns that he must break down the walls of isolation he has made, by reliving and torturing himself with previous issues that cannot be altered, and let go of his past in order to move forward and discover his future. When dealing with the uncertainties of the past, the speaker chose to highlight the importance of widening your perspective and realizing that there is more to life than the problems of the past that may be holding you back.
I relate to the Speaker in

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