Marvin Omosemen Benson

Elysian Pain Marvin Omosemen Benson

The book, Elysian Pain, is a sublime portrayal of the dual nature of love- love as a complex metaphor for heaven and hell, with the pilgrim-heart finding tent in both realms during its journey. The heart, at one stage of its voyage, tends to enjoy ecstatic experiences, as though it were within the very borders of Elysian where the pristine waters of Hippocrene calmly flow to cleanse the many muds of memories and everyday Insanity. The heart, as one would imagine, loves to dwell eternally in this untainted realm of affection, waking up daily to feel the warm breath of the rising sun upon its feverish brow. But the heart never stays in one realm of love because it is destined to stray away from a perfect state of passion, traversing the thorny plains of pain. And often, the plains of pain are within the blushing borders of Elysian itself! For such is the dilemma of love: that which brings the greatest pleasure to the heart is also capable of stealing all its heartbeats. Thus, these collections of poems and sayings are a pure and unrestrained testament to the interaction that exists between the two features, nature, and dimensions of romantic emotion otherwise called love. We cannot embrace the joys of love and ignore the tears that come with it. And it is this mingling of pain and joy that gives meaning and essence to love.