Actually, this is a poem my father once showed me, a long…
““Actually, this is a poem my father once showed me, a long time ago. It has been bastardized many times, in many ways, but this is the original: The Cold Within Six men trapped by happenstance, in bleak and bitter cold Each possessed a stick of wood, or so the story's told. Their dying fire in need of logs, the first man held his back For of the faces round the fire, he noticed one was black. One man looking cross the way, saw one not of his church And could not bring himself to give the fire his stick of birch. The third one sat in tattered clothes, he gave his coat a hitch Why should his log be put to use to warm the idle rich? The rich man just sat back and thought of the wealth he had in store And how to keep what he had earned from the lazy, shiftless poor. The black man's face bespoke revenge as the fire passed from his sight, For all he saw in his stick of wood was a chance to spite the white. And the last man of this forlorn group did naught except for gain, Giving only to those who gave, was how he played the game The logs held tight, in death's still hands, was proof of human sin They didn't die from the cold without, they died from the cold within.””
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
A tale of men in cold who selfishly hoard warmth, showing how inner hatred and prejudice cause greater suffering than the external cold.
In simple terms: Inner hatred kills more than cold.
Key Takeaway
Cultivate generosity over selfishness.
Themes
prejudice
selfishness
human nature
cold
morality
Mood
somber
critical
Type
Bitter cold:1
Death:0
Hate:1
Long time:0
Long time ago:0
Parenting:0
Poem:1
Poetry:1
Prejudice:1
Rich man:0
Time:0
X men:0
Poem Father:0
Logs Man:0
Cold Men:0
Wood Story:0
When to use this quote
- teamwork situations
- resource sharing
- social justice education
Key Concepts
empathy
social critique
moral lesson
Questions to Reflect On
- How does personal prejudice affect group survival?
- What can we do to share resources fairly?
A Different Perspective
The metaphor may oversimplify complex social issues.