warm_snow
  Junior Member

I came here from the song "The price of experience" by Gordon Giltrap, since I learned it was inspired by this poem. I always thought the name and song were about the challenges one must face before attaining wisdom, but this poem tells a whole different story.

It seems the point here is less in the title, and more in the closing lines. The theme is actually closer to "ignorance through continued prosperity" rather than "experience through hardship"; basically the complete opposite thematically. The title is very clever in this sense, but I also feel a little let down.

It's a great poem though, and the message is still very relevant today. more »