17 pages • 34 minutes read
Kindness
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Themes
Human Compassion
The core theme of the poem is summarized in its title: the need for kindness, compassion, and selfless goodness between one human being and another. The speaker opens the poem by warning the reader about viewing such an undertaking too lightly; to truly understand, one must first glimpse what the world would look like without it. This suggests that kindness, despite its immeasurable power, is easily overlooked. The speaker explains that the true value of kindness and compassion is only perceived when everything else is stripped away.
The second stanza describes kindness as a “tender gravity” (Line 14), contrasted against the horror of a man’s body by the side of the road. As death is the most extreme form of absence, the poem uses this moment to paint an emptiness in which kindness is the only thing left. While these emotions are “tender,” the “gravity” (Line 14) of them shows how kindness and compassion become a center of strength in times of struggle. The stanza then goes on to suggest the reader could easily take the man’s place at any moment, which emphasizes the importance of displaying attributes like compassion in the time that readers are given.
The third stanza deals with the juxtaposition and the gap between kindness and sorrow—a time when compassion becomes more important and essential than ever. During times of grief, compassion can be the difference between falling into an even deeper state of isolation and rising out of one. The speaker argues that one can’t know true kindness until they see this potential for how far they have to fall: “Then it is only kindness that makes sense anymore” (Line 27) shows how debilitating grief can be, and how compassion between human beings becomes the only thing that links oneself to the living world.
Equality and Universality
Through the lens of this poem, the poet explores the interconnectivity between human beings. There is a suggestion of socioeconomic divide between the speaker and the people around them; however, the poem explores several thematic aspects that bring these people together. Early in the poem, the speaker refers to the “future dissolv[ing] in a moment” (Line 3). This experience and sensation are universal to people all over the world. Where one might see a future dissolve after a career or relationship setback, others may be more beholden to agricultural rhythms and feel their future dissolve due to natural forces beyond their control. However, in each instance, one is subject to the unpredictability of fate.
The poem goes on to introduce the image of a dead man, and the idea that “this could be you” (Line 17). Death is the greatest equalizer among humanity, and though certain cultures may have more advantages when it comes to prolonging natural mortality, everyone is subject to the same fragility of the human form. Anyone, regardless of culture, gender, or economic status, can have their life taken away from them in an instant. This poem serves as a reminder that at the end of our lives, we are not so different from each other after all. By stating that the body at the roadside could in fact be anyone, the poem encourages its readers to look at artificial social divides in a new way.
Throughout the poem, the speaker expands on the core themes of kindness and compassion as unifying threads that connect all beings together. When one experiences the depths of sorrow—another universal emotion that is felt and acknowledged worldwide—they can be reassembled and brought together in community by acts of kindness. The speaker says that kindness becomes the only thing that still resonates in times of disorder and chaos because it is such a universal feeling. Like death, kindness is an equalizer among people that dissolves artificial boundaries and social constructs.
Fate and Choice
While kindness and death share the trait of universality, they differ in that death is rarely a conscious choice, while kindness is, often, a cognitive effort. The poem takes a narrative arc moving from one of passivity to activity, destiny to agency. At the beginning of the poem, the speaker relates that one’s future can disappear without warning—either literally, in the case of the dead man, or figuratively, in the case of someone whose plans have been upended. To experience this twist of fate, the speaker argues, is essential in fully understanding what kindness can be; in other words, to make fully informed choices for the new future that stretches out ahead.
The poem does not state directly how the man died; it may have been an accident, an illness, or a murder. However, the body’s placement suggests it was neither planned nor expected. Despite the fact that the man “journeyed through the night with plans” for his future (Line 19), he was ultimately unable to fulfill them. By succumbing to a tragic fate, the man had his ability to make new choices taken away. This highlights the need to make wise, strong choices in life.
The third stanza explores stages of grieving, in which the world no longer seems to follow a set pattern—it has been derailed by fate. In this instance, kindness is not a coping mechanism or a side effect of grief but a conscious choice outside of it. The healing process of emerging from sorrow is not solely down to the act of kindness, but it also comes down to choosing kindness—and, by doing so, choosing life.
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By Naomi Shihab Nye
