The story "The New Atlantis"by Ursula K. Le Guin brings up some interesting points in regards to resources. It paints a picture of a world where the government controls all the resources, or more correctly what is left of them. This is something that I had not previously thought of, that if we use up most of our resources, who will control them? This is of course, assuming that scientists do not come up with cheaper, more effective sources of power, and this shows the importance of coming up with alternatives to traditional sources of power.
The words of Simon as he is explaining to Belle the situation paint a disturbing picture of what would happen if alternative sources are not found."'The state owns us,' he said, 'because the corporative State has a monopoly on power sources, and there's not enough power to go around. But now, anybody could build a generator on heir roof that would furnish enough power to light a city.'" It seems that not even solar power exists in this alternate future, suggesting that perhaps the government destroyed the technology used to create it to ensure their monopoly over the people. Sadly, it seems that progress is not encouraged, as everyone working on their project know that it can never be used. "Because they couldn't rejoice aloud over a job done and a discovery made, but had to hide there and whisper about it."
This story should serve as a warning as to what could possibly happen if we continue down our current road. This is an interesting and clever way to get across the importance of looking for alternative fuel sources to fossil fuels. The less resources we have, the more expensive they will become. This could eventually mean that they only fall into the hands of the rich and powerful, affording them all the benefits and luxuries that electricity and other forms of energy provide. This can all be avoided, however, it alternative fuel sources are researched, developed, and our dependence on fossil fuels is lessened.
Perhaps the author wrote this story as a warning. As stated before, this is an interesting, if unnerving possibility to think of, and something that I had not really thought of before. Maybe this scenario was written in order to appeal to those who do not view pollution as a problem. It certainly is a problem, and it could have much farther reaching consequences than we think. Maybe by writing a scenario in which it effects every aspect of our lives and leads to a totalitarian government, it can get some people thinking about it that might otherwise not care. This work certainly made me think, and got me wondering, what other unforeseen circumstances may arise if we continue to use the finite amount of resources we have without giving thought to the future?
Work cited: Le Guin, Ursula K. "The New Atlantis". Lightspeed, Issue 58, March, 2015. Accessed 28 March. 2017.
Tuesday, March 28, 2017
Thursday, March 9, 2017
The Stinging Truth
The poem entitled "The Bees" by Audre Lorde is one that is a poem that I found particularly fascinating. In this poem, the author is able to wrap up multiple critiques of society, and yet tell a fascinating story at the same time. She captures both emotion and action, bringing them together in a more narrative kind of way, something that some poems can struggle to do.
From the very start of the poem, we can see that she is critical of society today. "In the street outside a school/ what the children learn/ possesses them." Here we see that this tendency to be destructive toward nature has been learned. It is something these little boys have been taught, most likely that bees are dangerous and are a menace to people. This is a common view, and many people fail to realize that most animals are not a menace to humans, and you leave them alone, they will do the same.
A contrast is shown between the boys and bees they are attacking. "The bees, buzzing in their anger,/ are slow to attack." Unlike the boys, who are more than willing to violently attack and destroy the bee hive, the bees here seem hesitant. Perhaps it is because bees die once they sting, and this can be a symbol of sorts. It is so easy for humans to go around destroying nature in various ways, with little to no consequences to them, and yet it often takes a great effort for nature to fight back. Often, humans are more destructive towards nature than nature is to them.
Once the school guards come, it is evident that they do not care about the hive, further re-enforcing the boys violent tendencies. "the advance upon the hive/ beating the almost finished rooms of wax apart/ mashing the new tunnels in/" It is curious that the boys do not get in trouble for their actions, but rather the school guards, who one would expect to be the more mature and level headed than the group of boys, stoop down to their same level and attack the bee hive, just like the boys are doing.
The girls, meanwhile, stand off, watching. "Curious and apart/ four little girls look on in fascination/" Perhaps the distance between the two genders is meant to represent that they are often opposite side of the spectrum. While the group of boys are loud, violent, and causing a ruckus, the girls sit off to the side, quiet and contemplative.
Then we come upon, what I feel to be, the most fascinating lines of the entire poem. "learning a secret lesson/ trying to understand their own destruction/". These lines baffle me, and I am unsure of what exactly they mean. Could it mean that the girls understand that the destruction of nature will eventually lead to their own demise if it goes to far, since everything on this planet is in some way connect? Or could it be addressing a more societal view, that the girls are trying to understand that, in the view of the author, they will be trampled over by society because of their gender? These lines are interesting and thought provoking, and perhaps Lorde meant to keep them ambiguous, leaving it up for interpretation.
The poem continues on, saying "'Hey, the bees weren't making any trouble!'/ and she steps across the feebly buzzing ruins/ to peer up at the empty, grated nook/ 'We could have studied honey making!'". In this excerpt we see that it is the girls, and sadly not even the adults that see the truth. They understand that the bees meant no harm, and it was simply the boys acting out that made them angry.
We also see here that this particular girl, the one who is speaking, understand the value of them. It is curious that out of all the things she might have said about their value, she mentions they could have learned from them. This is something we often lose sight of. Many times humans think that nature has nothing to offer, when in fact, if we take the time and look close, we can see that nature often has much to teach us.
In addition to making me think, this poem also impacted me personally, in that I do not enjoy people calling certain animals "pests". Even the mice that we catch in our traps at my home, I cannot help to feel sorry for. They weren't doing anything wrong or with any malice, simply trying to survive, and yet we kill them, and in a rather cruel way at that. I think that many times, people simply do not like certain animals because of reputation they have, such as that bees sting people. If people were more reflective and less reactionary, and too the time to learn about nature and try to learn things of it, perhaps we would have less exterminations, less needless killing of animals, and more harmony with nature and all creatures.
Work Cited: Lorde, Audrey. "The Bees". Black Nature: Four Centuries of African American Poetry, edited by Camille T. Dungy, University of Georgia Press, 2009, 78-79.
From the very start of the poem, we can see that she is critical of society today. "In the street outside a school/ what the children learn/ possesses them." Here we see that this tendency to be destructive toward nature has been learned. It is something these little boys have been taught, most likely that bees are dangerous and are a menace to people. This is a common view, and many people fail to realize that most animals are not a menace to humans, and you leave them alone, they will do the same.
A contrast is shown between the boys and bees they are attacking. "The bees, buzzing in their anger,/ are slow to attack." Unlike the boys, who are more than willing to violently attack and destroy the bee hive, the bees here seem hesitant. Perhaps it is because bees die once they sting, and this can be a symbol of sorts. It is so easy for humans to go around destroying nature in various ways, with little to no consequences to them, and yet it often takes a great effort for nature to fight back. Often, humans are more destructive towards nature than nature is to them.
Once the school guards come, it is evident that they do not care about the hive, further re-enforcing the boys violent tendencies. "the advance upon the hive/ beating the almost finished rooms of wax apart/ mashing the new tunnels in/" It is curious that the boys do not get in trouble for their actions, but rather the school guards, who one would expect to be the more mature and level headed than the group of boys, stoop down to their same level and attack the bee hive, just like the boys are doing.
The girls, meanwhile, stand off, watching. "Curious and apart/ four little girls look on in fascination/" Perhaps the distance between the two genders is meant to represent that they are often opposite side of the spectrum. While the group of boys are loud, violent, and causing a ruckus, the girls sit off to the side, quiet and contemplative.
Then we come upon, what I feel to be, the most fascinating lines of the entire poem. "learning a secret lesson/ trying to understand their own destruction/". These lines baffle me, and I am unsure of what exactly they mean. Could it mean that the girls understand that the destruction of nature will eventually lead to their own demise if it goes to far, since everything on this planet is in some way connect? Or could it be addressing a more societal view, that the girls are trying to understand that, in the view of the author, they will be trampled over by society because of their gender? These lines are interesting and thought provoking, and perhaps Lorde meant to keep them ambiguous, leaving it up for interpretation.
The poem continues on, saying "'Hey, the bees weren't making any trouble!'/ and she steps across the feebly buzzing ruins/ to peer up at the empty, grated nook/ 'We could have studied honey making!'". In this excerpt we see that it is the girls, and sadly not even the adults that see the truth. They understand that the bees meant no harm, and it was simply the boys acting out that made them angry.
We also see here that this particular girl, the one who is speaking, understand the value of them. It is curious that out of all the things she might have said about their value, she mentions they could have learned from them. This is something we often lose sight of. Many times humans think that nature has nothing to offer, when in fact, if we take the time and look close, we can see that nature often has much to teach us.
In addition to making me think, this poem also impacted me personally, in that I do not enjoy people calling certain animals "pests". Even the mice that we catch in our traps at my home, I cannot help to feel sorry for. They weren't doing anything wrong or with any malice, simply trying to survive, and yet we kill them, and in a rather cruel way at that. I think that many times, people simply do not like certain animals because of reputation they have, such as that bees sting people. If people were more reflective and less reactionary, and too the time to learn about nature and try to learn things of it, perhaps we would have less exterminations, less needless killing of animals, and more harmony with nature and all creatures.
Work Cited: Lorde, Audrey. "The Bees". Black Nature: Four Centuries of African American Poetry, edited by Camille T. Dungy, University of Georgia Press, 2009, 78-79.
Tuesday, February 28, 2017
A Place of "Refuge"
One of the passages that really stuck with me from the book "Refuge" by Terry Tenpest Williams is a particular scene on pages 237-238. In this scene, we see Terry retreating to a secret place. The recent passing of her mother has led to her feeling sorrowful, and she need some place to go, some place to get away from it all, a place of "refuge" if you will.
"Leaning against the back of the wall of the cave, the curve of the rock supports the curve of my spine". Here we see the connection that Terry has with nature. The curve in the wall of the cave matches up with the curve of her spine, symbolizing her connection with nature that we have seen throughout the book. Also of note is how she says that the rock supports her. Throughout the book we see that she not only has strong connection with nature, but that she turns to nature as a source of comfort, strength, and refuge. This single sentence conveys this relationship very well.
The cave is covered in the simple imagery of the animals that inhabit the land, and Terry finds it comforting to mimic these depictions, choosing to carve simple chevrons on the bones o a rabbit, picked clean by a bird. Here we see another connection to birds, and the fact that it is an eagle is interesting as well, a symbol of strength and courage.
I also find it interesting how Terry connects this place, a place that is used by the native people of the land, as a place of refuge for herself. One interesting aspect of the book is how Terry sometimes connects the beliefs and practices of the native people to the her own situation. This blending of her own Mormon beliefs and natives ones is interesting, and something that we again see in this passage.
This passage effectively conveys the power of solitude and how being alone in a place of comfort, and a place in which we can find strength can help us, even through the darkest times. It is in these places of quiet reflection that we are able to truly be ourselves, to contemplate on life, and how we feel about things. I think everyone needs these types of places, places where they can be themselves, let their feelings out without the fear of being judged by others. Perhaps Terry should serve as an example to us, instead of immediately going to tell other our troubles, perhaps we should be more like her and seek solace more so than the often empty words of others in our times of distress.
Work Cited:
Williams, Terry Tempest. Refuge. New York: Vintage Books, 2001. Print. 237-238.
One of the passages that really stuck with me from the book "Refuge" by Terry Tenpest Williams is a particular scene on pages 237-238. In this scene, we see Terry retreating to a secret place. The recent passing of her mother has led to her feeling sorrowful, and she need some place to go, some place to get away from it all, a place of "refuge" if you will.
"Leaning against the back of the wall of the cave, the curve of the rock supports the curve of my spine". Here we see the connection that Terry has with nature. The curve in the wall of the cave matches up with the curve of her spine, symbolizing her connection with nature that we have seen throughout the book. Also of note is how she says that the rock supports her. Throughout the book we see that she not only has strong connection with nature, but that she turns to nature as a source of comfort, strength, and refuge. This single sentence conveys this relationship very well.
The cave is covered in the simple imagery of the animals that inhabit the land, and Terry finds it comforting to mimic these depictions, choosing to carve simple chevrons on the bones o a rabbit, picked clean by a bird. Here we see another connection to birds, and the fact that it is an eagle is interesting as well, a symbol of strength and courage.
I also find it interesting how Terry connects this place, a place that is used by the native people of the land, as a place of refuge for herself. One interesting aspect of the book is how Terry sometimes connects the beliefs and practices of the native people to the her own situation. This blending of her own Mormon beliefs and natives ones is interesting, and something that we again see in this passage.
This passage effectively conveys the power of solitude and how being alone in a place of comfort, and a place in which we can find strength can help us, even through the darkest times. It is in these places of quiet reflection that we are able to truly be ourselves, to contemplate on life, and how we feel about things. I think everyone needs these types of places, places where they can be themselves, let their feelings out without the fear of being judged by others. Perhaps Terry should serve as an example to us, instead of immediately going to tell other our troubles, perhaps we should be more like her and seek solace more so than the often empty words of others in our times of distress.
Work Cited:
Williams, Terry Tempest. Refuge. New York: Vintage Books, 2001. Print. 237-238.
Tuesday, February 14, 2017
The Oft Misunderstood Bat
Bats are some of the most amazing animals in the world, and yet they are often misunderstood, and still frighten and fascinate people to this day. This odd fascination is something that seems to have gripped Emily Dickinson in her writing of "The bat is dun with wrinkled wings".
Dickinson begins talking about the bat, and her description from the very beginning shows her fascination with the creature. She talks about not being able to hear the song of the bat, then describes his incredible aerial acrobatics. In the third stanza she then goes on to describe the bat how it has often been seen, as a symbol of evil. She talks about being uncertain where he comes from (heaven or hell) and describes him as "malevolent".
In the last stanza is where we see her give the creature its due. She talks about him, in his own strange way, being a creature of good. She implies that despite the fear and misunderstanding, we should still be thankful for this creature being around.
I feel that in this poem, the bat can be seen as a symbol of someone misunderstood, and perhaps even Dickinson herself. During her lifetime, Dickinson was a recluse, and often misunderstood by others. Perhaps in a creature like the bat, she saw something she could relate to. Like the bat, she had no evil intentions or malice towards others, though people may have been suspicious of her or thought her strange. I think it is an interesting parallel to make, one that should make us all think about how we judge others.
This poem is one of my favorites, as the bat is my favorite animal. I feel that if many people took the time to understand them, their fear would turn to fascination. In the same way, we should take the time to get to know and understand indivuals who may at first seem strange or different to us. I think in the same way, our uneasiness would turn into respect and wanting to know more about them.
Bats are some of the most amazing animals in the world, and yet they are often misunderstood, and still frighten and fascinate people to this day. This odd fascination is something that seems to have gripped Emily Dickinson in her writing of "The bat is dun with wrinkled wings".
Dickinson begins talking about the bat, and her description from the very beginning shows her fascination with the creature. She talks about not being able to hear the song of the bat, then describes his incredible aerial acrobatics. In the third stanza she then goes on to describe the bat how it has often been seen, as a symbol of evil. She talks about being uncertain where he comes from (heaven or hell) and describes him as "malevolent".
In the last stanza is where we see her give the creature its due. She talks about him, in his own strange way, being a creature of good. She implies that despite the fear and misunderstanding, we should still be thankful for this creature being around.
I feel that in this poem, the bat can be seen as a symbol of someone misunderstood, and perhaps even Dickinson herself. During her lifetime, Dickinson was a recluse, and often misunderstood by others. Perhaps in a creature like the bat, she saw something she could relate to. Like the bat, she had no evil intentions or malice towards others, though people may have been suspicious of her or thought her strange. I think it is an interesting parallel to make, one that should make us all think about how we judge others.
This poem is one of my favorites, as the bat is my favorite animal. I feel that if many people took the time to understand them, their fear would turn to fascination. In the same way, we should take the time to get to know and understand indivuals who may at first seem strange or different to us. I think in the same way, our uneasiness would turn into respect and wanting to know more about them.
Thursday, February 2, 2017
The Love Song of Nature
The poem “Song” by Brenda Cardenas interestingly uses many nautical themes throughout. I think this is interesting, as many poems focus on things that can be seen in a field, forest, city, and so on. I find it interesting that she uses the ocean as a common connection with the person she is talking to. I think that, although it might not be evident at first, that this poem is about the love between two people, and the love of nature is how they are able to bond more closely.
In the beginning of the poem, it is evident that she is very connected to nature. She talks about being shouted to from beyond her dreams, and when she rushes to the beach, she sees whales breaching the surface of the water, and only then does she mention the person standing there. This suggests a strong connection to nature and perhaps this connection to nature is how she is able to better connect with the second person of the poem.
She also talks about this other person being to reach them (I would assume she means the whales), and being able to “ride their fins”. I think this could speak to the bond between these two people, and suggest that they love each other very much. She knows what this person wants, and this person has expressed their desires to her, even if they may seem fantastical or unrealistic. This love could be romantic, or it could be simply the love of friends.
I find the closing lines very curious, as she talks about wanting to drown her fears. Perhaps this person she is talking to has been able to conquer their own fears, and is trying to help her overcome some of her own.Maybe the fear is with this person, perhaps a fear of loss or a fear of being left alone. Whatever the case may be, it seems this other person is trying to help her overcome her fears, trying to help her move past the things that are holding her back. This again speaks to the love that is evident between these two souls.
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