Expect nothing Alice Walker

Expect nothing. Live frugally*

On surprise.
become a stranger
To need of pity
Or, if compassion be freely
Given out
Take only enough
Stop short of urge* to plead*
Then purge* away the need.
Wish for nothing larger
Than your own small heart
Or greater than a star;
Tame wild disappointment
With caress* unmoved and cold
Make of it a parka*
For your soul.
Discover the reason why
So tiny human midget
Exists at all
So scared unwise
But expect nothing. Live frugally
On surprise.

Frugal (adjective) = prudently saving or sparing; careful, economical in use; not wasteful
Urge (noun) = impulse
To plead (verb) = to beg for
To purge (verb) = cleanse, purify
Caress (noun) = an act or gesture expressing affection, as an embrace or kiss
Parka (noun) = a fur coat

Alice Malsenior Walker

was born on the 9th of February, 1944 in

Georgia;
She worked as a social worker, teacher and lecturer, and took part in the 1960s
Civil Rights Movement in Mississippi;
Walker won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for her 1982 novel, The Color Purple, and
is also an acclaimed poet and essayist;
Alice Walker is one of the most admired African-American writers working today;
She graduated from her high school as the valedictorian* of her class;
With the help of a scholarship, she was able to go to Spelman College in Atlanta;
Alice Walker visited Africa as part of a study-abroad program;
She became active in the Civil Rights Movement, fighting for the equality of all
African Americans;
She also emerged as a prominent voice in the black feminist movement;
Her experiences informed her first collection of poetry, Once , which was published
in 1968;
2004: Now Is the Time to Open Your Heart;
2006: collection of essays, We Are the Ones We Have Been Waiting For: Light in a
Time of Darkness.

Title - first thoughts: do not expect much from people, do not get your hopes up;
- Style: simple, cursive/ fluent, few figures of speech;
- Figurative language: Wish for nothing larger/ Than your own small heart/ Or greater
than a star -> metaphor;
- Repetition: Expect nothing, Live frugally/ On surprise;
- Literary technique: Plainness;
- The form of the poem consists of: short lines, free verse;
- Personification: Tame wild disappointment, Make of it a parka/ For your soul;
- Symbolism: So tiny human midget, your own small heart;
- Theme: balance & inner harmony; live realistically; look at the simpler side of life;
- Attitude: no shifts, optimistic thoughts.

Valedictorian is an academic title of success .

Interpretation of the poem (verse by verse)

(1-2) Live a simple life and do not ask for too much;
(3-4) Accept what you have and rid yourself from complaints or anxiety;
(5-7) Ration kindness and do not take more than you need;
(8-9) Take matters into your own hands, do not depend on anything or anyone;
(10-12) Keep your desires to a minimum;
(13-14) Look at disappointments in a positive light;
(15-16) Use your failures as guidance for achievements in the future;
(17-20) Remain humble and live a simple life, appreciate the small things in life;
(21-22) The coordinating conjunction but emphasizes the same idea previously stated
in verses 1-2 .

Epicurus (341 270 BC) -> ancient Greek philosopher, founder of the school of
philosophy called Epicureanism.
Main philosophical views: the concepts of ATARAXIA (peace, no fear,
imperturbability) and APONIA (the absence of pain) + living a selfsufficient life.
lathe bisas ( ) -> live in obscurity, anonymously, live
without pursuing glory, wealth, power.

!!! Alice Walker doesnt promote numbness or dehumanization of the individual,

but balance and emotional control.

Frugal (adjective) = prudently saving or sparing; careful, economical in use; not wasteful
Urge (noun) = impulse
To plead (verb) = to beg for
To purge (verb) = cleanse, purify
Caress (noun) = an act or gesture expressing affection, as an embrace or kiss
Parka (noun) = a fur coat