Fear is a Man's Best Friend

I am terrified by this dark thing That sleeps in me; All day I feel its soft, feathery turnings, its malignity. Sylvia Plath, “Elm” Dear Book Rafters, FEAR is a powerful emotional response and apprehension of a possible harm or threat to one’s existence or sense of security. The word comes from Old English fǣr, meaning danger, peril, or sudden calamity, and related to the verb fǣran – which is ‘to frighten’ or ‘terrify’. In Portuguese, fear is medo - deriving from the Latin word metus and its verb metuere, meaning ‘to fear’, ‘dread’, ‘be afraid of’. Fear can paralyse us from being or feeling free and from living the life we desire, and instead can force us to make bad decisions or no decisions at all in the false hope that it will make us more secure. What are the most meaningful, memorable or striking descriptions of fear that you found in a novel, short story or poem? Please, bring to the meeting one of the most interesting literary passages about this topic that you have found in a piece of writing and that you would like to share with us! NOTE: Suggested donation to cover the expenses of this meetup group: 3 Euros. (https://www.facebook.com/BookshopBivar) Painting: Self-Seers II [Death and Man] (1911) by Egon Schiele