Comparing Pain In Waldon's 55 And Counting

Pain is a natural and essential component of the human existence. Pain can be experienced in many simple scenarios—such as the physical pain received from touching a heated pot. Pain can also be experienced in complex situations—such as the internal pain felt by a betrayal of a close friend. And although pain can take on many different forms, there is a common connection between all types of pain. Pain is always discomforting. And the discomfort of it is illustrated in David Waldon’s 55 and Counting. Waldon explores the concept of pain through his poems “Baggage,” “Loyal to a Fault,” and “Forlorn Forecast.”

Waldon’s poem, “Baggage,” discusses the frequency of pain in an individual’s life. The speaker acknowledges that he experiences pain often. He calls pain “an old adversary,” and notes that pain always comes “uninvited” throughout the day (Waldon 183). The speaker reveals that the pain he experiences is unpleasant. He is constantly in conflict with the pain he suffers from. By making “pain” a person, the speaker implies that his own pain has the destructive power of a human—a human that has actively chosen to be the speaker’s opponent. The pain that the speaker faces “rarely tires” and constantly tries to overpower the speaker (Waldon 183). It is clear that the speaker feels that the pain he is experiencing is slowly overtaking his

The speaker’s life is dictated by the presence of pain. Whenever the speaker’s “pain” tells him to suffer, the speaker chooses to “obey” it (Waldon 185). This line is significant because it shows that pain can have influence over the decisions of an individual’s life. Pain can make any individual harm himself or herself even further. Pain is patient and will always come “again and again” (Waldon 185). Pain is persistent, unrelenting, and cruel to any individual that allows it to control his or her