Hello, this IO will analyze the literary devices Mary Oliver’s “The Ponds” and Haruki Murakami’s “landscape with flatiron” use to convey the global issue of how people’s interpretations of the world around them are based on selected facts to cope with their own lives. This could be best described with the idea of “ignorance being bliss” which describes the belief that it’s best to avoid the facts of life, as it doesn’t fit with expectations and wants, as well as how they use art and nature to escape their reality. Starting with “The Ponds”, the diction, rhetorical devices, and point of view emphasize the disparities between the reality of nature decaying and what the author wants to believe about nature, which is that decay means nothing. The …show more content…
While she acknowledges nature’s “flaws”, she quickly disregards them and diminishes nature’s decay. The first-person point of view shows how the conclusions and facts of the poem are not objective as they come from a biased perspective; it is far more personal, as the author writes herself into the text using the first person and saying that what she wants in life “is to be dazzled.” If it were written from a different point of view it would be more omniscient and feel less personal to the author as the reader would have to be objective and draw their own conclusions. This relates to the global issue as it shows how the author uses “selected facts” to convey what she thinks about nature and perfection, which is that she believes the imperfections are based on those facts. Since she reveals that her desire in life is to be “dazzled” the only facts that corroborate or align with what she wants is the beauty of nature and that the decay is perfect or insignificant to affect its …show more content…
Her surprise shows that she believed certain facts about “To Build a Fire” would apply to her. The main difference between the allusion and the story is that in Junko’s case, the fire did catch, showing how living in a state of pessimism left her in a more gratifying situation than the man in “To Build a Fire” as her pessimistic beliefs left her less disappointed. Murakami by having the fire light up while in “To Build a Fire” the lack of fire showcases the global issue as the stories fundamentally differ as Junko does not end up disappointed because she builds a fire while the man who initially had so much pride would fail and die. It shows how her pessimistic attitude is how she copes with possible failure. The story is an inspiration to her as she relates to it and Murakami showcases it by not just including but through the parallels in the setting and building a fire. Both texts convey the global issue of the tendency to only acknowledge information that corroborates present beliefs, even if it is not true. A similarity between both “The Ponds” and “landscape with flatiron” is the use of rhetorical
Nigamananda Das (2007) introduces the concept of ‘positive aesthetics’ which suggests that while ‘[a]rt-work may be good or bad, ugly or repulsive […] nature is all beautiful in its own way’ (p. 18). Positive aesthetics posits that ‘[a]ll [of] the natural world is beautiful’ and that the natural environment ‘so far as it is untouched by man’ (Das, 2007, p. 18). These untouched environments are ‘graceful, delicate, intense, unified, and orderly rather than blase, dull, insipid, incoherent, and chaotic.’ A problem for positive aesthetics is whether all parts of nature should be held as equally beautiful. Holding that all of nature is equally beautiful has a strong motive, since to suggest otherwise may seem to compromise the position of positive
Specifically, the grandfather in this poem appears to represent involvement with nature because of his decisions to garden as he “stabs his shears into earth” (line 4). However, he is also representative of urban life too as he “watched the neighborhood” from “a three-story” building (line 10). The author describes the world, which the grandfather has a small “paradise” in, apart from the elements desecrated by humans, which include “a trampled box of Cornflakes,” a “craggy mound of chips,” and “greasy / bags of takeouts” (lines 23, 17, 2, and 14-15). The passive nature of the grandfather’s watching over the neighborhood can be interpreted in a variety of different ways, most of them aligning with the positive versus negative binary created by the authors of these texts. The author wants to show the reader that, through the grandfather’s complexity of character, a man involved in both nature and more human centered ways of life, there is multifaceted relationship that man and nature share. Through the also violent descriptions of the grandfather’s methods of gardening, the connection between destructive human activities and the negative effects on nature is
Although this section is the easiest to read, it sets up the action and requires the most "reading between the lines" to follow along with the quick and meaningful happenings. Millay begins her poem by describing, in first person, the limitations of her world as a child. She links herself to these nature images and wonders about what the world is like beyond the islands and mountains. The initial language and writing style hint at a child-like theme used in this section. This device invites the reader to sit back and enjoy the poem without the pressure to understand complex words and structure.
In Emerson’s “Nature” nature is referred to as “plantations of god” meaning that nature is sacred. Also mentioned, is that “In the woods is perpetual youth”(#) conveying that nature keeps people young. Therefore, these excerpts show that nature is greatly valued by these transcendentalists. Transcendentalists would likely care significantly about the environment. In contrast, nowadays nature is often and afterthought. Natures’ resources are being depleted for human use, and the beauty of nature is also not as appreciated by modern people as it was by transcendentalists. The threat to nature in modern times contrasts to the great appreciation of nature held by authors like Emerson and
Man has destroyed nature, and for years now, man has not been living in nature. Instead, only little portions of nature are left in the world
From the lone hiker on the Appalachian Trail to the environmental lobby groups in Washington D.C., nature evokes strong feelings in each and every one of us. We often struggle with and are ultimately shaped by our relationship with nature. The relationship we forge with nature reflects our fundamental beliefs about ourselves and the world around us. The works of timeless authors, including Henry David Thoreau and Annie Dillard, are centered around their relationship to nature.
The humanity that Millay is privy to in the understandings she obtains from the observation of earth, sky, season, and the cycle of existence is the paramount essence of her writing. The poetry of Edna St. Vincent Millay is the poetry of evaluation of that which is shared and experienced. In each of her writings above, Millay has reconfigured the notion of nature and humanity, not as separate things existing in the same world, but rather two forces occupying each other’s space long enough that there is an indelible reference to each in the existence of the other.
Perceptions of the natural world have fluctuated throughout humanity’s short time on this earth, going in and out of style as societies and technologies have grown and died. As is the the very nature of literature itself, literature and its authors have managed to capture these shifting views, expressed and illustrated by the art of written word. Naturally, the literature chosen for us to read based on this fluid theme of nature encompasses an array of perspectives. One of these views is that nature is sublime and above all else, a reflection of all that which is perfection. Another is that nature is cold, uncaring, and indifferent to the vanities of humanity.
“We pluck and marvel for sheer joy. And the ones still green, sighing, leave upon the boughs…” (14-16). This emphasis on nature reflects the respect and connection to the natural world the culture was trying to convey in their poetry. The colorful and illustrative descriptions of the physical world are indicative of the mindset and focus of these poems. Namely the fact that they were concerned with the world around us and the reality we experience as opposed to that of abstract concept of god or the supernatural as seen in other historical texts. This focus on nature is important because it sets the context in which the major theme of loss and separation originate from. In this poem the poet chooses to emphasize the passing of time in the choice of comparing the two seasons. Spring, in which life begins a new, and fall, in which the leaves begin to fall off and die. The poem reads “And the ones still green, sighing, leave upon the boughs- Those are the ones I hate to lose. For me, it is the autumn hills” (15-18). This juxtaposition of these two
In the book Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, there are many themes, symbols, and motifs that are found throughout the novel. For my journal response, I have chosen to discuss nature as a prevalent symbol in the book. The main character, Montag, lives in a society where technology is overwhelmingly popular, and nature is regarded as an unpredictable variable that should be avoided. Technology is used to repress the citizens, but the oppression is disguised as entertainment, like the TV parlour. On the opposite end of the spectrum, nature is viewed as boring and dull, but it is a way to escape the brainwashing that technology brings. People who enjoy nature are deemed insane and are forced to go into therapy. Clarisse says “My psychiatrist wants to know why I go out and hike around in the forests and watch the birds and collect butterflies,” (Bradbury 23) which shows she is a threat to the control that the government has put upon the people by enjoying nature.
His poetry is written in a natural language that speaks to and demonstrates common human emotions; called forth by readers' experiences in nature. He explains how nature has never betrayed his heart, and that is why he has lived a life full of joy. Therefore, he wishes her sister to indulge in the nature and be a part of it. That way, she will be able to enjoy and understand life and conquer the displeasure of living in a cruel human society.
Elements shown so far contradict their dreams, retaining naturalistic ways nature crushes and prevails while humans are animalistic beings. The world revolves around land, it's more important than the living beings. For example, a path beaten by boys and beaten hard by tramps who come near water. “In front of an ash pile, the sycamore limb is worn smooth
In the realm of literature, the portrayal of nature and its interaction with human beings often serves as a rich source of symbolism and thematic exploration. Mary Shelley's "Frankenstein," and Edgar Allan Poe's "The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket” are influential works that explore the complex relationship between humanity and the natural world, while also examining the primal instincts and animalistic tendencies within us. In this paper, I will compare and analyze these two texts, focusing particularly on how the authors employ nature and animals to convey a deeper meaning. Each work presents a unique perspective on the weave of human nature with the natural environment, showcasing the profound impact of these interactions on
Nature is often a focal point for many author’s works, whether it is expressed through lyrics, short stories, or poetry. Authors are given a cornucopia of pictures and descriptions of nature’s splendor that they can reproduce through words. It is because of this that more often than not a reader is faced with multiple approaches and descriptions to the way nature is portrayed. Some authors tend to look at nature from a deeper and personal observation as in William Wordsworth’s “I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud”, while other authors tend to focus on a more religious beauty within nature as show in Gerard Manley Hopkins “Pied Beauty”, suggesting to the reader that while to each their own there is always a beauty to be found in nature and nature’s beauty can be uplifting for the human spirit both on a visual and spiritual level.
In this lyrical poem “Ode: Intimations of Immortality from Recollections of Early Childhood,” Williams Wordsworth expresses how a child’s view on nature changes and becomes distorted the older the child gets. Wordsworth struggles with comprehending why humanity doesn’t appreciate or perceive nature in all of its glory. Why is it that as time passes, the less we value nature in a spiritual way?