There Was a Child Went Forth

This poem reminds me of how we are all created by God and everyone and everything will turn to dust when we die. Before we die though, we need to look at the world, the plants, animals, and people as precious beings that are connected to each other by the life God has given us. God has chosen people to look after the vegetation and animals on this earth and suddenly that connects me to God's creation. I have to really become the plant or animal or person to understand more fully how I am able to help them. Sometimes the connection lasts for only a few seconds, like with insects or spiders, but relationships with people last forever so we can help them. That is what this poem said to me.

THE GRASS  by Emily Dickinson
The grass so little has to do, --
A sphere of simple green,
With only butterflies to brood,
And bees to entertain,

And stir all day to pretty tunes
The breezes fetch along,
And hold the sunshine in its lap
And bow to everything;

And thread the dews all night, like pearls,
And make itself so fine, --
A duchess were too common
For such a noticing.

And even when it dies, to pass
In odors so divine,
As lowly spices gone to sleep,
Or amulets of pine.

And then to dwell in sovereign barns,
And dream the days away, --
The grass so little has to do,
I wish I were the hay!

 

   The first stanza talks about how the grass doesn't do much except for entertain the bees and the butterflies.
   Stanza two talks about how as the breezes ripple the grass it creates a musical melody.
   Stanza three talks bout how beautiful the grass looks when it is heavy laden with dew. Royalty is not imaginative enough to realize the beauty of the grass bedecked with pearls of dew.
   Stanza four talks about the grass dying. When grass dies it gives of a heavenly perfume.
   Stanza five talks about how when the grass dies, it goes into a "sovereign barn" (grass heaven) where the grass gets to dream all the time and not work, Dickinson wishes she could be grass or hay so she could write poems all day and not do any work.

Transcendental and Antitranscendental

I personally like to read transcendental literature. I think I like reading this set of writing because I love nature and I prefer happy endings to ones where people die or something bizarre happens to them. One of my favorite transcendental authors is Ralph Waldo Emerson. Almost everything he writes hits home with me. In "Nature", I like how Emerson says that "Nature always wears the colors of the spirit". I come from an outdoors type of family and we all love being outside and I have found that quote is very true. When I am sad I run outside and sit in my backyard feeling the sun on me and it makes me happy. I can read antitranscendental literature but it takes me forever to get through it because it brings me down. I also enjoyed the excerpt of "Walden" by Henry David Thoreau. His observation skills are excellent which makes reading descriptions more fun. Thoreau also said many things that again hit home with me. Although I do not think I would be able to get through the entire book of "Walden" because he is a very deep thinker, a few excerpts here and there are very enjoyable.