Man vs Nature Essay

Topics: The Lorax, Dr. Seuss, Bob Holt Pages: 3 (850 words) Published: October 16, 2012
The relationship between man and nature is constantly evolving as man and nature can coexist in a harmonious relationship or a destructive one with a power struggle. The poem ‘Lines Written In Early Spring’ by William Wordsworth, and one newspaper article “Into those arms no more” by Charles Purcell gives representation to the different views that man can have towards nature. ‘The Surfer’ by Judith Wright is a poem that explores the joy and fear that nature can provide man and ‘The Lorax’ by Dr Seuss is a children’s book that conveys man’s ignorance towards all the benefits that nature can provide man in a harmonious relationship. These texts explore the evolving relationship between man and nature.

William Wordsworth’s poem ‘Lines Written In Early Spring’ gives representation to the evolving relationship of man and nature as a dichotomy between harmonious and destructive. A technique used to convey this is the biblical discourse throughout the poem, “If this belief from heaven be sent, If such be Nature’s holy plan”. This conveys that nature is a manifestation of g-d which corresponds with Wordsworth’s pantheist values and spiritual connection. This shows that Man has a harmonious relationship with natures as he accepts nature’s plans. In stanza two and four this line, “What man has made of man”, is repeated to emphasize man’s desecration of nature. In both instances, the persona expresses a sorrowful tone, which elucidates the destructive aspect of man and nature’s relationship. As shown Wordsworth’s poem conveys the dichotomous relationship between man and nature.

Charles Purcell’s article ‘Into those arms no more’ also shows that man’s relationship with nature can be harmonious and destructive. Like Wordsworth’s poem above, Purcell laments for the destruction of nature due to man’s interference. Purcell uses repetition of the word “destroy” to emphasize the harm that man is capable of imposing on nature, “They weren’t only destroying a tree, they were...
Continue Reading

Please join StudyMode to read the full document

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Man vs. Nature Essay

    ...Man vs. Nature The natural world is superior to all of humanity. Without reason, land controls us and influences our identities. Through mankind’s power we try to suppress the natural world but never truly succeed. “Progressive Insanities of a Pioneer” by Margaret Attwood, “The Bull Moose” by Alden Nowlan and “Not Just a Platform for my Dance” are comparable poems in a way that all three deal with a theme of the natural world and the power it holds against mankind. “Progressive Insanities of a Pioneer” and “The Bull Moose” both express that nature is more prevailing than humanity and that humanity will unsuccessfully try to conquer the natural world. Although, “Not Just a Platform for my Dance” displays how cooperating with the superiority that nature possesses can be favorable to civilization. In the poem "The Bull Moose", Alden Nowlan writes of human's separation from nature that signifies the Bull Moose as nature and the observers as mankind. Nowlan uses the poem as a depiction of how man has removed himself from nature, and by doing such; humans are isolating themselves from the assets that make them truly human. He illustrates this by man's lack of awareness of the Bull Moose's greatness, the “pole fenced pasture” between the two worlds, and the power of the creature's roar. Eventually mankind recognizes that he is not “shaggy and...

    Read More
    810 Words 4 Pages
  • Man Vs. Nature: The Reaction Between Man And Nature Essay

    ...In the film, man and nature were portrayed in a way which depicted co-existence equality. There was no clear distinction showing that one is superior to the other. Throughout the film, there was a constant interaction between the characters and nature. (SUSS, 2017) The images of granny working in agricultural fields, Mei playing with the tadpoles and getting dirty, their house being surrounded by climbers, tree tunnels and untamed wilderness work as reminders to remind us of the time when man and nature were inter-dependent. They worked together to sustain eco-relationship and to seek protection for the country and its people from the nature spirits. (Yuen, 2012) In the earlier part of the film, the girls faced an encounter with dust-bunnies and they did not seem scared. Instead, they were brave enough to try and scare them. Although it may be something we are not familiar with in reality, the girls were curious to learn more about it. When the girls’ father asked the granny if it was a ghost, the granny answered by saying not to be afraid and that these dust-bunnies were in fact, soot-spirits. This soot-spirits were believed to inhabit in old empty houses and not cause any harm. Since granny is an elderly person, the girls were very respectful towards her and valued her insights on soot-spirits and took her words very seriously. They accepted whatever the granny said without disbelief....

    Read More
    1183 Words 5 Pages
  • man vs nature conflicts Essay

    ...why nature? Humanity's progress, particularly since the mid-19th century, has been largely the result of our ability to get and use what planet Earth has to offer. All told, the food we eat, the timber we cut, and the water we draw amounts to an astounding one-third to one-half of global ecosystem production. But humans are part of nature, and like every other species on the planet, we depend upon healthy ecosystems for our survival. Nature provides us essentials like clean water, food, medicines, even recreational retreats. Intact ecosystems also help regulate our weather and climate. But these systems are extremely fragile, and we're only now beginning to understand the myriad interactions and interdependencies that sustain them. And we know that once they are gone, there are no replacements. Changing our behavior and needs to preserve these Earth's ecosystems will be neither easy nor inexpensive. But if we are to feed, clothe, and care for ourselves into the future, taking drastic steps will be essential. . Man- Nature interaction Man and nature interact dialectically in such a way that, as society develops, man tends to become less dependent on nature directly, while indirectly his dependence grows. This is understandable. While he is getting to know more and more about nature, and on this basis transforming it, man's...

    Read More
    1682 Words 7 Pages
  • Man vs Nature Essay

    ...Mans relationship with nature is constantly evolving While Man and nature are inextricably linked, the contemporary world has transformed man’s interaction with nature. In Kenneth Slessor’s poem “North Country”, he explores man’s exploitation of nature in pursuit of industrial progress, an idea reflected in Charles Purcell’s feature article, “Into those arms no more”. Meanwhile, William Wordsworth’s poem, “Lines Written In Early Spring,” explores the supremacy of nature, while Thomas Cole’s artwork “Destruction” gives insight to man’s overconfidence and vanity fixated in nature’s supremeness. Man and industrialization poses a significant threat to guileless nature, as progress has come at the expense of the landscape. Slessor’s “North Country” foregrounds his pessimistic view of the damaging effect of man’s exploitation through a lamenting and sorrowful tone, “The flanks of hidden valleys, where nothings left to hide.” This reinforces nature’s vulnerability, which is juxtaposed with the vivid macabre imagery of man’s actions as the trees are left, “Dripping red with blood.” This highlights the pain and suffering that the industry imposes on nature, deepening the solemn and plaintive mood of the poem. Furthermore, man’s environmental abuse as a result of ‘progress’ is conveyed through the metaphor, “Trunks of pewter, bangled by...

    Read More
    1066 Words 5 Pages
  • Nature Vs Nurture Essay

    ...Maggie Kent 3/27/14 Child Development p.3 Nature vs. Nurture Nature vs. Nurture There is a constant battle between researchers from different fields saying almost all traits come from genetic makeup and that traits are based off of the environment a person is living in. When it comes down to the argument of nature versus nurture, there is no clear answer. Based on the research, I believe the environment plays a larger role in determining a person’s traits than genes do. The way an individual is raised can have different influences on their intelligence and how they will end up as adults. Family is also a major role in the upbringing of a child. When a person in raised in an environment with negative factors, they could be slightly off mentally, and even physically, as an adult. A person that grows up with parents that are addicted to toxic substances, it is believed they have a greater risk of being addicts throughout their life because that is what they were raised with. However, some researchers believe it is in your genes to be an addict if your mother was doing drugs or drinking will pregnant. That is wrong. An individual raised with addicts have parents have the ability to make the choice to be different from their parents and to stay away from toxic substances. Studies show that addiction is 50-60% genetic. (Genetics of Addiction 2014). There are still another 40-50% of people that have just...

    Read More
    975 Words 3 Pages
  • Nature vs Nurture Essay

    ...The controversy of nature vs. nurture has been disputed for years. Nature vs. nurture refers to the question of which factors are most significant in determining development; those related to heredity or environment. It has been reported that some scientists think that “nature” is referred as the importance in heredity as the major determinate also known as “nature” the theory of human behavior. The nurture theory scientists believe that people think and behave in certain ways because they are taught to do so. This is an ongoing debate and understandably so. I do believe that both nature and nurture play apart in development. Nature in my opinion I'd suggest that one of the reasons that people believe in the nurture effect is that they also believe in an overarching assumption about the importance of timing of experiences. This latter assumption, called "infant determinism", the belief that experiences that occur in the first months and years of life have a more powerful influence on the individual than later events. In Jerome Kagan’s book, Three seductive ideas, the "seductive idea" ration that notable exception imply young children are occasionally said to be too young to remember unpleasant events. The connection with the nurture assumption, of course, is that the infant years are the period when nurturing places most demands on parents, and when poor...

    Read More
    804 Words 3 Pages
  • An Essay on Man vs. Candide

    ...An Essay on Man vs. Candide During the period of Enlightenment, many philosophers began a new way of thinking. For philosopher Alexander Pope in An Essay on Man, Pope believed that, “Whatever is, is right” (L. 294), in that God is in control and every human being is a part of a greater design of God. Voltaire later challenged that belief in Candide with the idea that God does not produce order, but instead, we must produce it ourselves and use reason to give our lives meaning. Pope’s position is more optimistic, while Voltaire’s position takes on a pessimistic view in that it does not allow for the belief in some sort of higher purpose. Drawing from personal experience, Pope’s belief that we perceive troubles as troubles only because we cannot see the entire design is more accurate. Alexander Pope’s position is that God is in complete control. Everything good and bad that happens to people is a part of God’s plan. Every person has a specific purpose in this world, because we are all a part of a greater good. There is a “Great Chain of Being,” and man’s downfall is when he begins to question it, “There must be, somewhere, such a rank as Man: / And all the question (wrangle e’er so long) / Is only this, if God has placed him wrong?” (L. 48-50). Pope’s theory that “Whatever is, is right” (L. 294), also ties in with the belief that everything happens for a reason. I, like Pope, believe...

    Read More
    782 Words 4 Pages
  • Nature of Man- Great Gatsby Essay

    ...Today, we would define ‘man’ as representing the human race. What is human nature? Human nature refers to the patterns of behavior typical to that of mankind. Every man has both good and evil in him. Sometimes the good may take control or sometimes the evil can get the best of a person. One usually has many traits that make one a man, things like being respectful, loving, and selfish are among the many things that it is in man’s nature to be. Selfishness is defined merely as “concerned excessively or exclusively with oneself: seeking or concentrating on one's own advantage, pleasure, or well-being without regard for others” (Merriam Webster). Most people assume that selfishness is both wrong and unhealthy. A selfish person tends to put one’s own needs before the needs of others. The needs of one are just as important as the needs of others. One has to be able to draw a line between being too selfish and just trying to have a better life. Being selfish requires caring only about what one wants and not what the rest of society strives for as a whole. In The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, it is evident through the characters that it is in man’s nature to be selfish through the act of cruelty, greed, and manipulating others to achieve a goal. It is in man’s nature to be selfish; this is shown through the act of cruelty. Cruelty is shown in the novel when...

    Read More
    1744 Words 7 Pages

Popular Essays

Become a StudyMode Member

Sign Up - It's Free