The One Deadly Poem
If you were told a sin is not a bad thing, would you commit it? Author Peter Pereira wrote the poem Reconsidering the Seven in which he manipulates each of the Seven Deadly Sins: Pride, Lust, Envy, Greed, Gluttony, Sloth, and Wrath. The author compares sins with every day actions that almost anyone can relate with. In using these comparisons, the sins seem unalarming, almost as if they do not matter. The author’s life is reflected in each line of the poem; the doubt and conviction against his religion can be strongly felt. The “whit” and humorous tone of the poem may be attractive, but Pereira is gravely misleading the mind of a reader towards moral decay.
The fact that this poem has made it into my literature book shows …show more content…
First, the poem states, “Deadly Sins? Please—let’s replace Pride with Modesty, especially when it’s false,” (1-2). Pride is thinking very highly of yourself, right? Then how is being falsely modest thinking any differently? It’s not! Pride and false modesty are the same thing; when someone is being falsely modest they are committing the sin of pride. Next, he says, “And thank goodness for Lust, without it I wouldn’t be here. Would you?” (3-4). Pereira confuses lust with sexual attraction. What’s the difference? Love. There is no love in lust, because lust is putting your own desire for something or someone above everything else. A couple can be sexually attracted, get married, and have a baby in the absence of sin. Then he says, “Envy, Greed—why not? if they lead us to better ourselves, to Ambition,” (5-6). Someone can be ambitious without being envious or greedy. Imagine a world where everyone was filled with envy and greed… THAT’S why not, Pereira. Furthermore, he says, “And Gluttony, like a healthy belch, is a guest’s best response to being served a good meal,” (7-8). Pereira relates gluttony to a “healthy” belch. The very result from the sin of gluttony is being unhealthy; you can see how he tries to twist the sin into sounding like a good thing, relating it to the contrast. Finally, he says, “I’ll take Sloth over those busybodies who can’t sit still, watch a sunset without yammering, or snapping a picture. Now that makes me Wrathful,” (9-12). In comparing sloth with annoying people, who would make most anyone wrathful, Pereira is trying to get us to agree with sloth and wrath. It’s like giving me the option of being punched or murdered; of course I would rather be punched, but does that make it okay to punch me? No, it does
If you were told a sin is not a bad thing, would you commit it? Author Peter Pereira wrote the poem Reconsidering the Seven in which he manipulates each of the Seven Deadly Sins: Pride, Lust, Envy, Greed, Gluttony, Sloth, and Wrath. The author compares sins with every day actions that almost anyone can relate with. In using these comparisons, the sins seem unalarming, almost as if they do not matter. The author’s life is reflected in each line of the poem; the doubt and conviction against his religion can be strongly felt. The “whit” and humorous tone of the poem may be attractive, but Pereira is gravely misleading the mind of a reader towards moral decay.
The fact that this poem has made it into my literature book shows …show more content…
First, the poem states, “Deadly Sins? Please—let’s replace Pride with Modesty, especially when it’s false,” (1-2). Pride is thinking very highly of yourself, right? Then how is being falsely modest thinking any differently? It’s not! Pride and false modesty are the same thing; when someone is being falsely modest they are committing the sin of pride. Next, he says, “And thank goodness for Lust, without it I wouldn’t be here. Would you?” (3-4). Pereira confuses lust with sexual attraction. What’s the difference? Love. There is no love in lust, because lust is putting your own desire for something or someone above everything else. A couple can be sexually attracted, get married, and have a baby in the absence of sin. Then he says, “Envy, Greed—why not? if they lead us to better ourselves, to Ambition,” (5-6). Someone can be ambitious without being envious or greedy. Imagine a world where everyone was filled with envy and greed… THAT’S why not, Pereira. Furthermore, he says, “And Gluttony, like a healthy belch, is a guest’s best response to being served a good meal,” (7-8). Pereira relates gluttony to a “healthy” belch. The very result from the sin of gluttony is being unhealthy; you can see how he tries to twist the sin into sounding like a good thing, relating it to the contrast. Finally, he says, “I’ll take Sloth over those busybodies who can’t sit still, watch a sunset without yammering, or snapping a picture. Now that makes me Wrathful,” (9-12). In comparing sloth with annoying people, who would make most anyone wrathful, Pereira is trying to get us to agree with sloth and wrath. It’s like giving me the option of being punched or murdered; of course I would rather be punched, but does that make it okay to punch me? No, it does