The Importance of Religion
Religion is an important component of Johnson’s poems, especially “The Vanity of Human Wishes.” Johnson was fascinated by and somewhat obsessed with ideas of spirituality, God, and Heaven. Johnson’s poems suggest that a faith and trust in God is all that can redeem us from the horrors and materialistic obsessions of our earthly life. For Johnson, Christianity is the highest redeeming factor; the only thing that can save our souls from the dangers and wiles of the world. In this way, Johnson’s poems serve as a mantra, a reminder to humanity that our heavenly life is the only life that matters; trust in God is of the upmost importance.
The Inevitability of Death
One of Johnson’s most prominent themes in his poems is that of death—specifically with respect to God and the afterlife. He urges his readers to consider their actions in this life, as those actions impact if or how you make it to the afterlife. This overarching theme of death is often dissected in terms of mortality. Johnson often uses his poems to remind readers that, despite our best efforts and best wishes, we are not immortal. We all have a set time on this earth. In this way, Johnson present death as an inevitability that must be negotiated and understood, with respect to God.
Dreams and Aspirations
In many of his poems, but in “The Vanity of Human Wishes,” specifically, Johnson spins a tale about the futile efforts of man to construct their own lives, dreams, goals, and successes. His poems suggest that our attempts to achieve money, wealth, power, distinction, success are all futile, namely because our time on this Earth is short and unimportant. Johnson firmly believed that our time spent on Earth was merely a preparatory time for time in Heaven with God. As a result, Johnson attempted to urge his readers to understand that everything that we have, gain, experience, or attain in our earthly life is irrelevant, because the only life that really matters is our heavenly one. As a result, many of Johnson’s poems suggest that we shouldn’t waste our time searching for material things because these materials are fleeting and will not last us into our afterlife.
The Corruptive Nature of Power
Most of Johnson’s poems touch upon the corruptive control of power and affluence. Johnson tackles numerous types of power: political, intellectual, and sexual. He writes about these different types of power to emphasize the many ways that power can corrupt its users and victims. Many of Johnson’s poems are moralistic in nature. And his poems that confront themes of power are no different. Johnson uses his poems to suggest that power is more destructive for those who pursue and wield it than it is for those who are victims of it—namely due to its corruptive nature. He speaks to its corruptive nature of power and once again ties it back to religion and God. Johnson believes that, when we actively pursue power and let it control us, we are taking away power from God. To lose trust in God is the ultimate betrayal, according to Johnson. As a result, most of Johnson’s poems speak to the corruptive and influential nature of power.
The Dangers of Pride/Vanity
Johnson’s poems exemplify the complicated nature of pride. Though it can be good to be proud (of one’s work, of one’s achievements, of one’s ambition, etc.), pride can also be very destructive when it becomes too powerful. Johnson uses his poems to explain how pride can corrupt people. When people are too prideful, this boastful nature can often lead these people down unsavory roads. Johnson also firmly believes that pride can cloud our judgment more dangerously than any other emotion. When pride overcomes and overtakes our personalities, our ability to adequately assess situations and our own ideologies is severely clouded by the selfish and boastful nature of vanity. Pride leads us to believe that we are more important than we are. And this inflated sense of self-importance absolves us of our ability to maintain a life of humility—which is of utmost importance. When we’re too proud, we are incapable of making choices that do not solely benefit ourselves.
