For the whole of human history, man has simultaneously shirked from work, sought respite from it, delighted in it, and found it a necessity. Even while seeking to avoid it, he also would not perfectly enjoy a permanent escape from it, for we yearn to achieve something worthwhile and to see that what we have done is good.
William Butler Yeats published his poem “Adam’s Curse” in 1903, and from the title it is immediately apparent that two things are foremost in his thoughts in the poem: work and mortality.
Poet W.B. Yeats’s poem address the importance of work to make life meaningful. W.B. Yeats, date unknown. Library of Congress. (Public Domain)
In the book of Genesis, God gives three punishments: one to the serpent, one to Eve, and one to Adam. The final command consigns Adam to a life of work in which he must till and cultivate the land in order to bring forth his food. The other part of the command states that the ground which is to be his portion in life will also be his resting place in death….