Comparing Turtle Mountain And The Rain In The Trees

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Nature’s Advocates
Relationships with the natural world tend to dwindle as humans grow older resulting in disconnect. This relationship between humans and nature seems like it should be instinctive. When working on artwork and poetry, I focus on the political disconnect that humans have with the natural world. Turtle Mountain by Gary Snyder, The Rain in the Trees by W.S. Merwin, and Strike/ Slip by Don McKay also discuss the relationship between humans and nature, conveying the ever growing disconnect that humans have with the natural world. These poets express this disconnect through their personal connections. While Snyder has a spiritual and down to earth connection with the natural world and Merwin has an airy and non-physical connection, …show more content…

Snyder’s spirituality through Zen Buddhism explores the connection with humans and nature. In “Prayer for the Great Family Snyder’s spiritual connection with nature is evident. The speaker states that he has “Gratitude to Mother Earth, sailing through the night and day-- / and to her soil: rich, rare, and sweet” (1-2). (24). He also states that the “dance is flowing spiral grain. (1-2, 6).” This sentence suggests that the spiritual connection with nature is through the grain and soil. A common connection that humans have with the Earth is food. These lines illustrate that core connection and are especially apparent in …show more content…

This poem expresses the connection that Merwin has with nature because of “what [he] had heard / at last” (1-2.) He had heard “the wind in December / lashing the old trees with rain / [and] unseen rain racing along the tiles” (2-4). The sound that the rain and wind makes suggests that Merwin is part of the natural elements which lets hum conjure a story about what has happened to the ‘ohias, koas, sandalwood “and the halas” (18). Despite the story stating that “the sacred [plants were] cut, the “trees [and plants] have risen one more time / and the night wind makes them sound / like the sea that is yet unknown” (18, 22-24). Merwin also says that these plants (which are native to Hawaii) are sacred. This indicates that he has a connection with nature despite not having distinct commentary on his

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