Neurobiology | At the Doorstep of “An Unfinished Life”- John Fitzgerald Kennedy
When power leads man towards arrogance, poetry reminds him of his limitations.
“When power leads man towards arrogance, poetry reminds him of his limitations. When power narrows the areas of man’s concern, poetry reminds him of the richness and diversity of his existence. When power corrupts, poetry cleanses, for art establishes the basic human truths which must serve as the touchstones of our judgment. The artists, however faithful to his vision of reality, become the last champion of the individual mind and sensibility against an intrusive society and an officious state. The great artist is thus a solitary figure. He has, as Frost said, “a lover’s quarrel with the world.” In pursuing his perceptions of reality he must often sail against the currents of his time. This is not a popular role.”
― John F. Kennedy
Today’s composition is about the 35th President of the United States of America (1961–1963), John Fitzgerald Kennedy, the youngest man elected to the office.
Kennedy’s Equation with Robert Frost
John Fitzgerald Kennedy’s perception of poetry manifested his vision of a world that would be safe, not only for democracy and diversity but also for personal distinction. Kennedy’s equation with the American poet, Robert Frost is remembered as one of the most demonstrative associations between power and poetry in America’s history.
“A nation reveals itself not only by the men it produces but also by the men it honors, the men it remembers”. John F. Kennedy
The legendary Poem recited at John F. Kennedy’s Inauguration by Robert Frost carries a moving story on its shoulders, following his narrow victory over Richard Nixon in November 1960; Kennedy extended an offer to have Frost become the first poet to read at a presidential inauguration.
Replying by telegraph, Frost wrote, “If you can bear at your age the honor of being made president of the United States, I ought to be able at my age to bear the honor of taking some part in your inauguration. I may not be equal to it but I can accept it for my cause — the arts, poetry, now for the first time taken into the affairs of statesmen.”
John F. Kennedy asked Frost to either compose a bespoke poem for the occasion or read “The Gift Outright,” written in the 1930s, and published in 1942. At first; Frost composed a poem titled “Dedication”. According to Biography, on the morning of the inauguration, January 20, 1961, Frost presented the poem to incoming Secretary of the Interior Stewart L. Udall in his hotel room. Pleasantly surprised, Udall had a new copy typed up before whisking Frost off to the ceremony with the poet intending to read “Dedication” as a preamble to “The Gift Outright.” For an 86 year old albeit zealous poet, the inauguration day was intrigued by the sun’s glare reflecting off the snowy ground and he could not recite “Dedication”. Robert Frost recited “The Gift Outright” with his own added emphasis, “Such as she was, such as she would become, has become, and I — and for this occasion let me change that to — what she will become.” It’s said that Frost was embarrassed by the turn of events, however, the following day; The Washington Post cited the reading as one of the highlights of the ceremony, noting, “Robert Frost in his natural way stole the hearts of the inaugural crowd.”
Robert Dallek, the author of John F. Kennedy’s biography describes him as an elusive character and a man who, like all politicians, worked hard to emphasize his favorable attributes and hide his limitations.
“The result is not a sharply negative portrait but a description of someone with virtues and defects that make him seem both extraordinary and ordinary- a man of uncommon intelligence, drive, discipline, and good judgment on the one hand, and of lifelong physical suffering and emotional problems on the other”. Robert Dallek, John F. Kennedy: An Unfinished Life 1917–1963.
A Quick scan– John F. Kennedy
“Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country.” — John F. Kennedy
This quote by JFK defines his legacy and illustrates why Americans consistently give him the highest approval rating of any president since Franklin D. Roosevelt. With these inspirational words, JFK challenged every American to contribute in some way to the public good.
Of Irish descent, he was born in Brookline, Massachusetts, on May 29, 1917. Graduating from Harvard in 1940, he entered the Navy. Back from the war, he became a Democratic Congressman from the Boston area, advancing in 1953 to the Senate. He married Jacqueline Bouvier on September 12, 1953. In 1955, while recuperating from a back operation, he wrote Profiles in Courage, which won the Pulitzer Prize in history. In 1956 Kennedy almost gained the Democratic nomination for Vice President, and four years later was a first-ballot nominee for President. Millions watched his television debates with the Republican candidate, Richard M. Nixon. Winning by a narrow margin in the popular vote, Kennedy became the first Roman Catholic President.
Throughout his Presidential term (20 January 1961–22 November 1963), Kennedy took vigorous action in the cause of equal rights, calling for new civil rights legislation. His vision of America extended to the quality of the national culture and the central role of the arts in a vital society.
Profile of Courage
After reading about John F Kennedy’s maladies, his resilience grows on you slowly and steadily and moves you to every nerve of your body to kowtow at the remarkable profile of courage, spirit, and life. As a child, Kennedy nearly died from scarlet fever and also had serious digestive problems — most likely spastic colitis or irritable bowel syndrome, which plagued him for the rest of his life. As a young man, he suffered from urinary tract infections, prostatitis, and a duodenal ulcer. His insouciant attitude toward medications led to an abrupt cessation of steroid intake and precipitated a severe adrenal crisis in 1947 during an overseas trip to London. Kennedy became severely ill, requiring hospitalization in London, and was eventually diagnosed with Addison’s disease — probably secondary to chronic steroid intake.
Considering the theme of the composition, I would like to throw light on the most serious ailment JFK had i.e. Addison’s disease without getting into the debate of the theories suggested by numerous doctors and reports after his assassination in 1963.
Addison’s disease
The adrenal glands are located on top of your kidneys. These glands produce many of the hormones that your body needs for normal functions.
Addison’s disease occurs when the adrenal cortex is damaged, and the adrenal glands don’t produce enough of the steroid hormones cortisol and aldosterone. Cortisol regulates the body’s reaction to stressful situations. Aldosterone helps with sodium and potassium regulation. The adrenal cortex also produces sex hormones (androgens).
In my previous article, I talked about Homeostasis, human body’s dynamic equilibrium; the boss of the wisdom of the brain, i.e. hypothalamus hires organs of the body to perform certain functions. Let’s see how hypothalamus comes into the picture. Adrenal glands produce hormones in response to signals from the pituitary gland in the brain, which reacts to signals from the hypothalamus, also located in the brain. This is referred to as the hypothalamic-pituitary adrenal axis.
The hypothalamus plays an imperative role in one of the rare disorders Adrenal insufficiency. It may be caused by disease of the adrenal glands (primary adrenal insufficiency, Addison’s disease) or by diseases in the hypothalamus or the pituitary (secondary adrenal insufficiency).
I F. Stone, the distinguished liberal writer, observed in 1973: “By now he is simply an optical illusion.” Albeit many people portray his life as a myth, his battles against pain, pills, and maladies portray a character of a man with a sharp intellect and a remarkable fighting spirit and will power; his ability to serve as president was itself a profile in courage.
Theodore White, who was close to Kennedy, published a famous interview for Life magazine with Jackie Kennedy shortly after her husband’s assassination, in which she said:
“At night, before we’d go to sleep, Jack liked to play some records; and the song he loved most came at the very end of this record. The lines he loved to hear were: Don’t let it be forgotten, that once there was a spot, for one brief shining moment that was known as Camelot.”
After 57 years of his death, John F. Kennedy’s life sketches an image of hopefulness, passion, vision, power, art, idealism, commitment and soaring aspirations in the minds of the people.
“We must find time to stop and thank the people who make a difference in our lives.” John F. Kennedy