I Shall Never Breathe Again

If I never feel you in my arms again
If I never feel your tender kiss again
If I never hear I love you now and then
Will I never make love to you once again
Please understand if love ends
Then I promise you, I promise you that
That I shall never breathe again
   
                                Toni Braxton - Breathe Again

Such are the determined words of a woman who rather dies than being without the one she loves. Love is a magical, mysterious  feeling.  Love can either be defined by bliss or misery.  Love will bring you closer to heaven or drag you to hell. In short, love can either bring the best or the beast in you.  It is funny how love works and how it can make you do unimaginable things…all in the name of love. 

 

Pyramus and Thisbe is another tragic love story, just like the tales of Romeo and Juliet.  They are the examples of supreme love.  The theme of forbidden love that leads to tragedy is found in the myth written by Ovid.  The essence of romanticism is apparent in this work. Both Pyramus and Thisbe could not bear to live without each other. To bring this story in the class would be interesting.  Some young couples today still face the same conflicts faced by Pyramus and Thisbe with their parents. Students can give their opinions about Pyramus and Thisbe’s actions in the story – to discuss whether the acts of running away or taking their own lives were deemed appropriate or necessary. The teacher can perhaps link this to the problem of teenagers who run away from home.  The consequences of acting rashly could also be the theme of this myth. Students may be asked to write another version of the story with the question of “what if” in their minds. Another theme that can be discussed is that true love prevails in the end.  The fact that the story ends with Pyramus and Thisbe being together after their death and that their parents’ forgave them suggests that love can conquer all. God will always have mercy on pure love and that we should never give up hope.  

To me personally, true love is when you can be there for another person during his/her lowest moments; to be the light and source of hope for another person. Until you have the chance to be with someone during trouble times and stick around no matter what, you can never be sure that it is truly love.

"To love for the sake of being loved is human, but to love for the sake of loving is angelic."

                        Alphonse De Lamartine