Our Deepest Fear - Group Presentation

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Books by Marianne

(Q2) What we know about the author: Marianne Williamson

What we know about the author, Marianne Williamson, is that she is a popular contemporary poet. She addresses themes of spirituality and inner power. Williamson is an inspiring and popular poem that addresses universal human potential and the power of God. In her poem "Our Deepest Fear" she addresses “you”, the reader, telling you that it is not the darkness that humanity fears but light and everyone who hides their light is shirking their potential the God imbued them with. It is her belief that by doing this we are only harming one another. It is up to us to change the way we see ourselves so that we might do justice to the lives God gave us and improve the lives of others.

An Interview With The Author

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(Q3)Where is the setting of this poem taking place?

The Poem doesn’t take place in a physical setting as it focuses on the internal behaviors of us as people and how we change ourselves to fit in with others where we likely don’t belong. We try to put ourselves in places just to feel adequate, even if it hurts us, just so we can feel better about ourselves.
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(Q5)The tone of the poem.

The tone of the poem addresses the universal human potential and power. It taps into areas of spirituality, religion, self perception, and self confidence. Throughout the poem, the author used different ways to refer humans to things such as power and religion by stating things such as, “Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be?” Therefore the tone is motivational and inspirational.

(Q6)What's images can describe this poem?

Images that can represent the poem are someone feeling left out as they don't truly fit in, and a fish moving on to a bigger bowl away to better its life just as we should move away from those who make us feel like we need to lower ourselves to better our own lives.

While it may be beneficial to move from a group it can be hard to not look back and question if it's the right choice as you've adapted to it and don't realize you were only there because you were afraid of not fitting anywhere else. If you feel like you rely on a group of people of validation, you may need to talk to a therapist to uncover any other underlying problems such as anxiety and/or depression.

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