'No Man Is An Island'

 

 

Photo by Michael on Unsplash

No man is an island, entire of itself; 

every man is a piece of the continent,  

a part of the main. 

 

If a clod be washed away by the sea, 

Europe is the less,  

as well as if a promontory were,  

as well as if a manor of thy friend’s 

or of thine own were. 

 

Any man’s death diminishes me,  

because I am involved in mankind;  

and therefore never send to know 

for whom the bell tolls; 

it tolls for thee.

John Donne

It seemed apt today to remind ourselves of Donne's (four hundred-year-old) message about the connectedness of people. We are not isolated islands, but part of a larger thing - mankind.

We are not self-sufficient, but rely on the support of one another. One person's actions have an impact on others. If one person dies, everyone is affected. 

Writing Prompt:

• Have someone's actions today had a direct, or indirect, impact on you? Explain how and why in your writing.
  
• Write about how you feel connected to the rest of mankind. 
• Write about how you may sometimes feel disconnected from other people.
• Has the death of someone you do not even know had an effect on you? Set a timer and explore this question for seven minutes.
  
• Imagine you are an island. Write about yourself. Where are you? What's the weather like? How do you feel?