Franz Kafka once declared, “I am a cage in search of a bird.” Through this very complex quote, Kafka successfully points out the fact that prison has to seek for man, merely because man does not wish to be imprisoned. But what purpose would a cage serve without the presence of a bird? It would not serve its purpose to contain if there was nothing confined within its bars. Situations may not always present an outcome of the preferable circumstances, however it is imperative to understand that while some tribulations are uncontainable, others may serve as a result of governable actions. In the poem “The Panther” written Rainer Maria Rilke, there is an illustration of a hopeless, “weary” (Meyer 635) panther who is uncertain of its captivity behind
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Being that the natural habitat of a panther is the wild, the fact that the panther finds itself in a cage contrasts the animals understanding of what it means to live freely as it should. There is no ability to roam free in the cage while the panther is used to running wild. The separation from its niche, enables the creature to question his reason of belonging to such a state. It also produces a troubling result to its ability to adapt given the circumstances that it was involuntarily placed in. “His vision” (Meyer 635) becomes blurry and the “thousand bars” (Meyer 635) that surround him bring forth no hope, “no world” (Meyer 635), allowing the bright eyes it once possessed to dim. He has come to the conclusion that his life is now meaningless, stripped of the belief that he will be able to live a life with no restrictions. However, being confined to such a small space, pacing “in cramped circles, over and over” (Meyer 635) doing a ritual like dance, proves that he will not be tamed and still has every desire to be released. The back and forth pacing of the panther allows him to rid himself of the moment. It is further demonstrated that captivity not only brings forth an uncomfortable feeling, but eventually leads to
Being that the natural habitat of a panther is the wild, the fact that the panther finds itself in a cage contrasts the animals understanding of what it means to live freely as it should. There is no ability to roam free in the cage while the panther is used to running wild. The separation from its niche, enables the creature to question his reason of belonging to such a state. It also produces a troubling result to its ability to adapt given the circumstances that it was involuntarily placed in. “His vision” (Meyer 635) becomes blurry and the “thousand bars” (Meyer 635) that surround him bring forth no hope, “no world” (Meyer 635), allowing the bright eyes it once possessed to dim. He has come to the conclusion that his life is now meaningless, stripped of the belief that he will be able to live a life with no restrictions. However, being confined to such a small space, pacing “in cramped circles, over and over” (Meyer 635) doing a ritual like dance, proves that he will not be tamed and still has every desire to be released. The back and forth pacing of the panther allows him to rid himself of the moment. It is further demonstrated that captivity not only brings forth an uncomfortable feeling, but eventually leads to