Literature is used as a means of communication from one person to another. Most of the literary works have a deeper meaning in that there is more to the work than meets the eye. Literature is not only a source of communication but stimulates the brain of the reader. Both Snyder and Theodor Roethke’s poems have this quality and have thus played a significant part in the classic English literature (Perkins & Perkins, p. 23).
The following research paper focuses on the poems written by both Snyder and Roethke. It seeks to review the analysis of “The late snow and the lumber strike” and “Roethke’s poetry”. It looks at the situation of the speaker and his location at the end of the poem and the use of plants and animals in Roethke’s poetry respectively.
Activist, ecologist and most of all poets, Gary Snyder has used his literature to bring balance to the ecosystem. Snyder’s, “The late snow and the lumbers strike” defines the current situation of the environment in relation to the activities of human beings. The speaker airs his concern by showcasing the inevitable circumstances of human urbanization and its effects on the environment. His situation is thus seen in his disappointment in the activities of the human beings and their lack of concern for the environment. At the end of the poem, the speaker finds himself stranded at the summit of the mountain where he is faced with a dilemma of whether he should come down to earth or join the gods in heaven. Snyder finally opts to go back to earth where he chooses to live a peaceful life which reflects the ones of the mountain and wildlife that play a vital role in his life (Voice of the wild, p. 1).
Theodor Roethke’s poetry is one of a kind in that it is reflective of the controversial life that he led. The metaphoric use of plants and animals has been pivotal in explaining real life situations that have been mentioned in the poems. The writer makes this possible by gauging a number of similarities between human beings and the plants and animals. “I knew a woman; when small birds sighed, she would sigh back at them”. This phrase indicates that the human beings were on more than one occasion able to communicate with the plants and animals. Roethke made this possible by looking for the character traits in the human beings that were reflective of plants and animals. This type of work is similar to the literary works of Robert Frost. Despite the similarities, Frost sort to write about the wildlife and flora in detail as opposed to Roethke who used these particular features to bring out the symbolism in each case (De Vaux, p. 1).
In conclusion, both writers have used their literature to reach out to the society so as to change the way in which we live. Unlike other sources of literature, the writer place emphasis on the environment as opposed to basing the theme on day to day occurrences. Despite the different direction taken, they bring out a powerful message that if not looked into would lead to decline of environment as we know it.
Works cited.
De Vaux, Sylvie. Poetry comparison: use of plants and animals in the poetry of Theodore Roethke and Robert frost. July. 16.2011. Web 31.August.2011.
Guardian news and media limited. Voice of the wild
May.13. 2011. Web 31 August. 2011.
George, Perkins. Perkins, Barbera. The American Tradition in Literature. Michigan: McGraw hill higher education, 2003. Print.
