poetry and community

“But lets say that we respond to the other, not out of duty, not out of obedience, but out of a sense of solicitude, a sense of empathy—a different way from that shown by Levinas. If we accept that experiencing others is necessary to experiencing oneself, we also accept that some aspect of oneself can be shared (how to do the J-stroke while canoeing, or how to blow smoke rings), while some can’t be shared (how it felt when you broke your ankle). No one can feel my pain; no one can die for me. I can’t share either pain or death with anyone. But because I share other aspects of myself, I can share a sense of humanity. By way of solicitude, or care, or empathy, I can hope to participate in the life of someone else" (7)

-Anne Simpson, "Poetry and Community," (Prairie Fire 31.4).