"Miles from Any Shoreline" | Sarah Kay | TED

00:03:48
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NRv7r5aKgOc

Summary

TLDRThis poem captures the speaker's journey through loneliness and the search for beauty in everyday moments. The imagery of sunsets, starfish, and hawks illustrates the contrast between feelings of isolation and the desire for connection. The speaker reflects on their struggles with nihilism and cynicism, ultimately finding solace in the vibrant colors of nature and the fleeting moments that bring joy. The poem invites readers to embrace their own experiences of belonging and to recognize the beauty that exists even in solitude.

Takeaways

  • 🌅 The beauty of sunsets can lift our spirits.
  • 🐚 A starfish symbolizes connection and belonging.
  • 🦅 Hawks represent promises and new beginnings.
  • 💔 Loneliness can lead to profound self-discovery.
  • 🌈 Vibrant colors evoke strong emotions.
  • 🌌 The universe calls us to embrace life.
  • 💖 Cynicism can be released in moments of beauty.
  • 🏙️ New York City serves as a backdrop for reflection.
  • 🌊 Nature offers solace in times of despair.
  • 🎉 Embrace the fleeting moments of joy.

Timeline

  • 00:00:00 - 00:03:48

    The speaker reflects on moments of feeling lost and disconnected, yet finds beauty in fleeting experiences like sunsets. They describe a vivid sunset over the Hudson River that evokes a sense of wonder and a desire to share it with others, despite feeling alone. The imagery of the city winking at them symbolizes a connection to the world, even in solitude. The speaker acknowledges their ongoing struggle with nihilism and death but chooses to embrace moments of joy and beauty, like the sight of a starfish on the highway, representing a fragile yet whole existence. They express a longing for connection and belonging, inviting others who feel out of place to share in their experiences. The poem concludes with a sense of hope and a call to respond to the universe's invitations.

Mind Map

Video Q&A

  • What themes are explored in the poem?

    Themes of loneliness, beauty, connection, and the struggle with nihilism are explored.

  • What imagery is used in the poem?

    Imagery includes sunsets, starfish, hawks, and vibrant colors like 'upside-down clementine cotton candy cloud wisps'.

  • What does the starfish symbolize?

    The starfish symbolizes connection and belonging, especially for those who feel out of place.

  • How does the speaker feel about life and death?

    The speaker grapples with thoughts of death but also finds joy in the beauty of life.

  • What is the significance of the sunset in the poem?

    The sunset represents a moment of beauty that allows the speaker to release their cynicism.

  • What does the speaker mean by 'Bewilderville: Population 1'?

    It reflects the speaker's feelings of isolation and being alone in their experiences.

  • How does the poem end?

    The poem ends with the speaker trying to respond to the universe's call, suggesting a desire for connection.

  • What emotions does the poem evoke?

    The poem evokes feelings of wonder, loneliness, and a yearning for connection.

  • What does the phrase 'colordrunk' mean?

    'Colordrunk' describes the overwhelming feeling of joy and amazement from witnessing beautiful colors.

  • What is the overall tone of the poem?

    The tone is reflective, blending melancholy with moments of joy and beauty.

View more video summaries

Get instant access to free YouTube video summaries powered by AI!
Subtitles
en
Auto Scroll:
  • 00:00:04
    I frequently miss entire days
  • 00:00:11
    caught in my brain’s spider webs
  • 00:00:15
    but if I happen to look up in time
  • 00:00:17
    to notice that the darkness
  • 00:00:20
    still has a little daylight left to swallow
  • 00:00:24
    I will ivy up the fire escape to catch
  • 00:00:29
    whatever embers of the day
  • 00:00:32
    are still slow dying behind New Jersey
  • 00:00:36
    and last week through the fog
  • 00:00:39
    of my loneliness I realized
  • 00:00:41
    the living room was slippery pink
  • 00:00:44
    which I knew meant
  • 00:00:45
    a light show must be on display
  • 00:00:48
    so with a quickness I reserve for emergencies
  • 00:00:51
    I scampered to the roof and sure enough
  • 00:00:54
    an explosion of upside-down clementine
  • 00:00:59
    cotton candy cloud wisps
  • 00:01:02
    was tie-dyeing the Hudson River neon
  • 00:01:05
    and I swear I am not a lightweight
  • 00:01:08
    but I was colordrunk immediately
  • 00:01:11
    dizzy with gasp and skyward-reaching
  • 00:01:14
    hoping my fingers might find
  • 00:01:16
    a bell I could ring
  • 00:01:18
    that would summon all of New York City
  • 00:01:21
    to look up! and west!
  • 00:01:26
    but there was no bell and no one to call
  • 00:01:29
    just my own astonishment
  • 00:01:32
    still willing to answer after the first ring
  • 00:01:35
    how predictable: one good sunset
  • 00:01:38
    and I release my nihilism
  • 00:01:40
    like rose petals behind a bridal gown
  • 00:01:43
    look I have married my cynicism
  • 00:01:47
    and renewed my vows
  • 00:01:50
    but it didn’t stop the streetlights
  • 00:01:52
    from coming on at the exact moment I passed beneath them
  • 00:01:56
    when nobody else was in the park to see it
  • 00:01:59
    like the whole city was winking
  • 00:02:02
    and yes I blushed
  • 00:02:04
    the way I do whenever someone beautiful flirts with me
  • 00:02:08
    I haven’t stopped thinking about death
  • 00:02:12
    I am just wringing every last jaw-drop
  • 00:02:16
    from the tissue between heartbreaks
  • 00:02:19
    On a long run outside the city
  • 00:02:22
    along a highway and
  • 00:02:24
    miles from any shoreline
  • 00:02:25
    I found a starfish alone on the asphalt
  • 00:02:31
    an unsolvable mystery
  • 00:02:34
    with no witness to corroborate
  • 00:02:37
    and there I was again
  • 00:02:39
    wandering the streets of
  • 00:02:42
    Bewilderville: Population 1
  • 00:02:44
    what else could I possibly do
  • 00:02:47
    but swing wide the doors of my delight
  • 00:02:50
    to this patron saint of unbelonging
  • 00:02:54
    fragile and whole and so far from home
  • 00:03:01
    if you too have been the one nobody asked to dance
  • 00:03:07
    I’ve got a starfish I’d love to introduce you to
  • 00:03:11
    and I don’t have any proof
  • 00:03:12
    but one time the wind
  • 00:03:14
    or my ancestors or unseasonal warmth
  • 00:03:19
    carried three hawks
  • 00:03:21
    to my kitchen windowsill
  • 00:03:23
    to rattle my coffin to cocoon
  • 00:03:26
    and two of them left
  • 00:03:27
    but one of them stayed
  • 00:03:29
    eyed me through the glass
  • 00:03:31
    like a promise or a dare
  • 00:03:35
    and so lately I am trying
  • 00:03:38
    to pick up
  • 00:03:40
    when the universe calls
  • 00:03:44
    (Applause)
Tags
  • loneliness
  • beauty
  • connection
  • nihilism
  • cynicism
  • sunset
  • starfish
  • hawks
  • nature
  • self-reflection