Count That Day Lost

George Eliot

Eitan Wertman, Morrie Doron

16.9.2023

Count That Day Lost

George Eliot

If you sit down at set of sun

And count the acts that you have done,

And, counting, find

One self-denying deed, one word

That eased the heart of him who heard,

One glance most kind

That fell like sunshine where it went —

Then you may count that day well spent.

But if, through all the livelong day,

You’ve cheered no heart, by yea or nay —

If, through it all

You’ve nothing done that you can trace

That brought the sunshine to one face–

No act most small

That helped some soul and nothing cost —

Then count that day as worse than lost.

The picture shows a smiling woman, in the course of what seems like a peaceful dream. The reason we chose this picture is because it symbolyses the feeling that one gets after excperiencing a “well spent” day, as it has been displayed in the poem. After such a day, a person feels a satisfying and easing sensation going through his body while he is taking a rest and thinking about the day he had. We believe that this feeling is simmilar to the senario shown in the picture. 

In the picture, a diverse group of individuals from different races and backgrounds are joyfully embracing one another, their smiles radiating a sense of collective achievement and happiness. Apparently, they have come together to commemorate a shared success or accomplishment. This scene relates to the first stanza of the poem, which encourages making each day purposeful and not wasted. In this image, these people exemplify the poem’s message by turning their day into a meaningful experience through unity and celebration, thus emphasizing the critical role of positive actions and shared moments in ensuring  a day that truly counts.

“The most simple things can bring the most happiness”

The sentiment expressed in the quote, resonates with the first picture of a diverse group joyfully embracing one another. Their radiant smiles and shared happiness highlight the beauty of simple, heartfelt moments that bring immense joy.

Furthermore, this sentiment extends to the picture of the girl peacefully smiling while sleeping. In her sleep, she embodies the pure and uncomplicated happiness that can be found in the simplicity of life’s moments, just as the quote describes.

In the picture, a heart-shaped puzzle is seemed to be missing a part. This absence reflects the theme of the poem’s second stanza. In the same way the puzzle, with its incomplete heart, symbolizes unfulfilled aspirations and missed opportunities, so does the idea that if we let a day pass without striving for our dreams or pursuing our goals, it might leave a piece of our potential and satisfaction unfulfilled. Just as the puzzle yearns for its missing part, we too yearn for the fulfillment of our ambitions. This image highlights the importance of actively working toward our aspirations to ensure that no part of our potential remains incomplete.

In the picture, we see an individual lost in a dense forest during bad weather. The misty surroundings and challenging conditions reflect the sense of difficulty and uncertainty highlighted in the second stanza of the poem. Just as the person in the picture persists through the challenging forest and adverse weather, so does the stanza encourages us to endure life’s hardships by giving a helpful hand and supporting each other. It emphasizes that even on tough days, we can find strength and purpose by healing others and supporting others, ultimately aligning with the poem’s message of giving good to recive good.

“I am a searcher…
I always was… and I still am…
searching for the missing piece”.

We believe this quote relates to the pictures in a beautiful way. Both the heart shaped puzzle picture and the person lost in a dense forest represent a quest to find the missing piece, missing element, or missing asspect of life. The theme of the second stanza is that by not helping others you will never truly find the way to fulfill yourself and therefor be happy. We should always keep on searching for our path, our missing part, just as the quote, pictures and poem instruct us.

Bibliography:

https://www.livehappy.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/sleep.jpg

https://www.123rf.com/photo_91616918_happy-diverse-people-united-together.html

https://www.masterfile.com/search/en/puzzle+with+heart+not+fullhttps://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.lifehack.org%2Farticles%2Fcommunication%2F12-things-you-should-remember-when-feeling-lost-and-lonely.html&psig=AOvVaw0sjupTf5rE78cHcyKWqSt_&ust=1694981283030000&source=images&cd=vfe&opi=89978449&ved=0CA4QjRxqFwoTCJjz4Mf3r4EDFQAAAAAdAAAAABAD

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https://www.brainyquote.com/topics/simple-things-quotes

https://www.azquotes.com/quote/914099?ref=missing-piece