Point of View

The poem is written from an intimate second-person perspective. While the speaker certainly has an identity, they largely minimize their role in the poem, choosing instead to instruct and guide the listener (or reader) through a meditative state. That the poem is written in second-person, addressing "you" directly, generates a sense of closeness to the speaker's encouragement. However, at the same time the poem is an expression of intimacy, it is also one of universality: the listener the speaker addresses is a "silent friend of many distances," a description that suggests the speaker does not necessarily know the person they are addressing (1). It is likely that the speaker is simply speaking to all of humanity, to anyone in any part of the world who desires reflection and growth.

Language and Meaning

It is important to note that the poem is written in translation from the...