Speechless Nature is speechless But not forgetful She has not forgotten what we have done for her She has not forgotten what we have done to her   We should still be in an age of wilderness Where bees are not nearing extinction Where skylines are filled with trees But instead we have entered an … Continue reading Environmental Poetry →

While I am not an environmental science major, I am concerned with the state of the environment and want to do everything I can to not defile it any more than my existence already does. But I think I rest more with Dillard and Muir, where I respect and appreciate and want to observe and … Continue reading Environmental Philosophy →

In Ceremony, the setting plays a big role in the life of Tayo, bringing him into memories of both the war and before the war. Nature, and the respect of it, is big in Native American culture and one can see it come through in the Laguna culture the narrator describes. Seen especially in lines … Continue reading Setting in Ceremony →

Wendell Berry is a big proponent of supporting the local and knowing the land. He also seems to be against capitalism as it is destroying everything in order to have the best production methods while ignoring the environment. In “The Pleasures of Eating”, Berry introduces the idea that eating is an “agricultural act”. He goes … Continue reading 4 Degrees →

Momaday, as both Thoreau and Dillard and many others, finds beauty in the land. However he is far more interested in the love of land than either Dillard or Thoreau. Thoreau is definitely of the mind that land is for use/ownership as well as for beauty, and Dillard is closer to Momaday’s mindset, but the … Continue reading Light Gathers in Pools →

Dillard uses many literary elements in her writing, most notably alliteration, personification, metaphor, repetition, anecdotes, and simile. She uses these oftentimes to make nature seem mystical and worth looking into. She’s very much about exploring: exploring the area, exploring space, exploring new ideas and thoughts, and exploring the whole natural world down to tiny organisms … Continue reading What Summer Conceals, Winter Reveals →

This week’s readings have affected me more so than Walden did. I’ve always love trees; the way they look, their smell, climbing them and relaxing in them. But John Muir took this love to a whole new level and opened my eyes even more to the trees (as did Dr. Gallegos. After the walk we … Continue reading He Has Not Learned to Think Like a Mountain →

In many ways, I agree with Schulz on her point that Henry David Thoreau is a narcissistic misanthrope as throughout the book I have noticed that is quite full of himself-not only especially notable when he talks about philanthropy, but also almost any time he speaks of humans or humanity in general. He expresses great … Continue reading Thoreau, Schulz, and Purdy →

Thoreau, throughout Walden-but especially in Solitude-explores how Nature and Space are the infinite friends that nobody knows they needed. When people ask him if he is lonely, he responds by saying that we are only one point in an infinite space so “why should I be lonely” (93). He believes that what we truly wish … Continue reading Time and Nature →

Thoreau starts Walden off in a very anthropocentric state of mind. In Economy, Thoreau is very focused on how he believes man should live, and speaks about how he is following his beliefs in conducting this experiment where he moves away from civilization and into the woods to live for two years. He claims that … Continue reading Self-Appointed Inspector of Rain Storms →