PRE-READING
Many of us quite often feel low and said. What do we normally do to overcome that uncomfortable feeling? Most of us look up to someone for solace and comfort. some go to books: yet others turn to nature. believers depend on the almighty. Do you remember how the speaker in Mathew Arnold's poem 'self-dependence', requests the stars and the sky to guide him in his times of trouble? Many are the ways to salve the problem of this sort.
ABOUT THE POEM
'Footprints in the second' was written in 1936. mary Stevenson, it is believed, circulated handwritten copies of this poem to those who needed comfort at a low point in their lives. And true to her belief, the poem DOES certainly give the much-needed comfort to every reader.
The poem is a simple but impressive narration of the speaker's dream. in that dream, the speaker and the lord are walking along a beach. the scenes from the narrator's life flash in the sky. for every scene, the speaker sees two sets of footprints---one set of herself and the other of the lord---in the sand. in the end, she finds only a single set of footprints, particularly when the scenes from her life reflect sad moments. surprised, she asks the Lord why he leaves her in times of sorrow. the Lord replies that he never ever leaves anyone who follows him. the single set of footprints belongs to him. in testing times, he carries in his hands those who are in difficult situations. with this assurance, the poem offers complete comfort to the grief-stricken.
