
 J. Peter Meinke, who was born in Brooklyn, New York, in 1932, is the son of a salesman. Peter Menike had attended various colleges and earned different degrees. He worked as an English teacher at a New Jersey high school and at Hamline University in Minnesota. After twenty-five years working as an English teacher, Meinke decided to retire and work as a writer. Since Peter Menike’s retirement in 1993, Peter Meinke has been a writer for more than twenty-four institutions (Enotes). Meinke usually writes about domestic relationships in his writings. He is very known by his capability of writing in this field, domestic relationships, because of his refusal for letting the life controls the individual (Enotes). In Meinke’s poem “Advice to My Son”, Meinke is giving words of wisdom to how should each individual live life in the perspective of old person who experienced life. 

The poet in “Advice to My Son”, who has not been announced if the speaker is the father or the mother, is giving the son advices on the choices he should make by giving two major roles of living. The first role is to live each day as it was the last and the second is to plan long range. As the poet reported “the trick is, to live your life / as if each one may be your last” (lines 1-2). The old person is strongly telling the son to savor the moment and enjoy it. The writer chose the word “trick” to reflect his opinion. “Trick” sometimes mean to deceive someone’s mind with something is not true to gain some personal advantage (google). And the not true here is that every day is not going to be the last but if the son knew today is going to be the last day of his life he would do anything he wants. Would not spend the time doing things he doesn’t prefer, would not let someone steal his happiness. However, if the son spent every day as it was his last, he would not think about the future. Simply, because at that moment he thinks he has no future. Here where the majority of the second rule comes.

The poet truly understands making the son believes that every day of his life is the last, will make him irresponsible. Therefore, the second role is essential. It makes the son’s life balanced, between responsibilities and entertainment, and his future secured. “but at the same time, plan for long range” (5). The poet advising the son to not take life for granted. Rather, he must take the full use of life. Here again the poet sounds like a very old person who has been through a different kind of situations and experienced life and wanting the best for the son. It sounds like the poet is telling the son “to not let my mistakes takes you where I had been”. Moreover, the poet confirms the existence of death “for they go fast, and young men lose their lives / in strange and unimaginable ways” (3-4), “for they go slow; if you survive / the shattered windshield and the bursting shell / you will arrive” (6-8). The poet claims either ways, enjoying each day as it is the last or planning for a long range, the destination is one, death. And he keeps “you will arrive / at our approximation here below / of heaven or hell” (8-10).  The poet identifies that the destination, death, is not the last. Every person will reach death, but not everyone will take the same way, there’s only two ways, either hell or heaven. 

The old person has not only given the son advices for how to live life, but also give him advices for how to socialize with others. For instance, marriage. “therefore, marry a pretty girl / after seeing her mother;” (17-18). The poet here gives the standers for the women he should marry. It should be a pretty girl, but the beauty here is not the only standard, the son should know who he is marrying. Therefore, he needs to see the mother. To know how the women lives her life, what things she does and if she suits him or not. Moreover, by advising to see the woman’s mother, the poet reflects one of the morals the son should have. Do not marry a girl without a proposal and a parent’s approval. By being close to the parents, the son will earn their trust and respect. And will know the women better.  Sifting from the women he should marry to what kind of persons he can be close to. “show your soul to one man, / work with another” (19-20). The poet is telling the son to get deep in a relationship that both sides are taking advantage of. Such as business. Being close with someone he shares business with, might let him be used. Another thing, to separate work from social life. Here the poet strongly argues work and social life cannot fit together. The social problems can interrupt work. For instance, if two bossiness men had been in a fight, it might expose the agreement between them to danger. Finally, the poet repeats for the son, the importance of enjoying life “but son, / always serve wine” (22-23). And the word wine here means the enjoyment of life.

In brief, the poet shared the love he/she has to the son. By setting down two essential roles. Live the day as it is the last, so he enjoys his life, and plan long range, so he does not take life for granted. And by giving words of wisdom, such as “Marry a pretty girl after seeing her mother and do not get deep in a work relationship”. At last, in the children’s perspective to his parents it always seems that parents do things the children do not want, but parents give roles because they love their children and because they know life better. Stop complaining, make some living. 
