Treks and Texts

 This short poem once again highlight the majesty and beauty of a bird. It seem like a common motif in Oliver's work as she fascinates on the colors and power of the birds. In this poem, she notices a partocular one while looking through the trees. She describes him as, :a ruffle of fire trailing over the shoulders and down the back- color of copper, iron, bronze- lighting up the dark branches of the pine." She practically glorifies the birds for its mere presence. One part that confused me and seemed a bit out of place was her statement, "what misery to be afraid of death. What wretchedness, to believe only in what can be proven." She makes this remark then goes back to the scene of the branches. It makes me think that the bird itself made her reflect on its freedom from logic or worry as it flies through the branches. It simply has to exist in instinct and not of the standards of man. Once the bird notices her, it scarcely thinks twice about it before flying off, ...

 I love how this poem shows how quickly out minds can jump from idea to idea while still being enthralled in our surroundings. Oliver begins writing the opening about the glory of the experiences of nature in everyday life. A few lines later she decides to switch her focus to the song of the meadowlark and praise its simple existence in life. This poem is very sweet and reflective in nature. It reminds me of just laying outside in summer and taking in all the heat, flowers, birds, and the environment as a whole. She personifies the flowers as she describes daisies with, "their small, ecstatic faces" and roses "come to bud then open like little soft sighs." It reflects how delicate and sweet these flowers are as they rest within nature under the song of the meadowlark. The whole poem reminds me of a prayer of thanksgiving for the beauty and splendor of nature. The poem opens and closes with "oh Lord" as she dives into describing the clouds, trees, and other...

      This poem had a way of bringing me into the entire scene of the hawk along the lake. I loved how she was able to see the beauty in the hawk describing it as, "admiral," and "this is not something of the red fire, this is heaven's fistful." I feel like certain animals in nature, especially predators, have a connotation as being mean or bad. Oliver is able to highlight on the power, intent, and freedom of the hawk as it soars on some unknown mission through the lake. You feel the tension of the piece as she describes the, "hawk hooked one exquisite foot onto the last twig to look deeper into the yellow reeds." It had this image of suspense as we watch the next move of the hawk. One line that stuck out to me was, "it cruised along the lake- all the time its eyes fastened harder than love on some unimportant rustling in the yellow reeds." The way she highlights his focuses being "harder than love" both shows the value of his missi...

 "Nevertheless, in any city there are true wilderness where a man can be alone. It can happen in a hotel room, or on the high roofs at dawn."      This quote is something I have always thought about while walking home from class. Sometimes i try so hard to enjoy the nature while heading from home to class but being seconds from berry street you never really feel peace and quiet. The trees are there, the birds sing each morning, but within a few blocks you are faced with the hustle and bustle of the city.      I feel like most of our writings focus on feeling nature by leaving behind all of civilization and heading into the wilderness. Being in school, it is not often where I have the chance to get up and explore the great beyond. I have been trying to explore more of my own town and take in the little moments during my walks. I look around and take the time to see who and what is around me. It has allowed me to be more appreciative of my environment an...

       The snakes play a huge part in T.H. White's writing. In his passage, "The Snakes are about," he writes about his fascination with the grass snakes and how he surrounded himself with them in his house. He would go out and capture them and watch them make his house a home. He deeply respected them and wanted to protect them while also observing them. Throughout the passage, he continually displays his rules for domesticating wild animals while simultaneously breaking them lines later. He condemns naming wild animals or treating them as pets to not disturb the bounds of nature. He preaches this until one snake, Matilda, bonds with him and he begins to fall away from his original boundaries. He allows her to stay in his hands, names her, and she becomes protective of him around others. They build a sense of distorted trust and form a relationship that is not by natural means. It later comes a time where he has to let her go back into the wild where she is ultimate...