Question of the Week
Question of the Week #23: Literature, Naturally
In celebration of Earth Day, we'd like to know which of your favorite books have featured nature in a striking or profound way. To start you off, Thoreau in Walden connects deeply with the natural world, and his rich depiction of an idyllic life in the wilderness has inspired countless readers.
What's your favorite book or passage about nature? It could be something like Walden, or a passage from Moby Dick about the sea--the options are endless. Share them here.
Replies (6)
Posted by
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At the end of McTeague by Frank Norris, the harsh and empty desert first highlights the titular character's greed/stupidity, and then it finishes him off. It is awesome!
Here's a passage:
"As McTeague rose to his feet, he felt a pull at his right wrist; something held it fast. Looking down, he saw that Marcus in that last struggle had found strength to handcuff their wrists together. Marcus was dead now; McTeague was locked to the body. All around him, vast, interminable, stretched the measureless leagues of Death Valley.
McTeague remained stupidly looking around him, now at the distant horizon, now at the ground, now at the half-dead canary chittering feebly in its little gilt prison."Apr 20, 2009 11:43 pm
by emilyyoung -
For some reason, John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men comes to mind. The first lines are particularly descriptive.
Apr 23, 2009 3:36 pm
by books -
"The Road Not Taken" by Robert Frost. Not only shows nature as a metaphor, but also is a fine display of nthe Journey Archetype.
Apr 27, 2009 10:04 pm
by auistinblan -
The opening of "Of Mice and Men" is a good call but I would offer Hardy's Wessex novels in many of which Egdon Heath almost assumes the mantle of an additional - and awesome - character.
Apr 29, 2009 11:49 am
by OldVin -
Maybe it's too expected, since the British Romantics frequently talked about nature, but I was reminded of the end of "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner" by Coleridge, when the Ancient Mariner finally realizes the beauty of all of nature's creatures, even those "icky" water snakes. Can't say that it's my favorite, but it's a good moment nonetheless.
Apr 29, 2009 8:51 pm
by lit.nerd -
It's been a while, but something from "The Story of My Life" by Helen Keller.
Jun 16, 2009 10:04 pm
by saturntv