American Writing and the Wilderness - Essay Example

English Literature – American Writing and the Wilderness Introduction: The close interactions, connections, and interdependencies between the wild and human worlds have often been explored and highlighted by wilderness poets. With the aim of this essay being to test the claim of Max Oelschlaeger—“the wilderness poet calls forth ancient connections of the wild and human worlds”—, this essay analyses the two poems of Gary Snyder from his book The Back Country (1967), and establishes the highly significant connection, which is indeed ancient, between the two worlds of the wild and human. It tries to highlight the importance of wilderness which is deeply ingrained in the minds of wilderness American poets and which is often reflected in their writings. A brief analysis of other American poets’ ideas of wilderness have also been analysed after interpreting their writing. Establishing the significance and importance of wilderness in American writing and culture, the essay concludes by affirming to Max Oelschlaeger’s claim of the role of wilderness poet in bringing out the ancient connections between the two worlds. Notion of wilderness: Wilderness has been an object of observation, study, and detailed analysis by many scholars, ecologists, geologists, and others from ancient times. Study reveals that throughout history, there has been a great deal of intermingling and interaction between wilderness and human world. According to the USA's Wilderness Act of 1964, wilderness refers to “an area where the earth and its community of life are untrammelled by man, where man himself is a visitor who does not remain” 1. At the present day, preservation of wilderness remains the central concern of authorities as well as individuals. Max Oelschlaeger describes the present-day notion of wilderness as: “it is a melange of competing philosophies, ranging from resource conservation to so-called deep ecology” 2. David Henry Thoreau, regarded as the “philosopher of wilderness” by Max Oelschlaeger, has said, “In wildness is the preservation of the world”. Such ideas are also held by Max Oelschlaeger. In his highly acclaimed book The Idea of Wilderness, Max Oelschlaeger brings into light the ancient connections between the wild and human worlds. He believes that the idea of wilderness represented in the very beginning as “a heightened awareness by an agrarian or Neolithic mind as farming and herding supplanted hunting and gathering, of distinctions between humankind and nature” 2. According to him, wilderness is essential for the growth and development of our humanity, leading to “richer human beingness” 2. Wilderness has indeed played an important role in shaping our culture, and leading our country to prosperity. Throughout history, there are accounts of humans plundering and dominating wilderness and reducing it by viewing it as a natural resource. He states that at the present day, there appears to be a huge gap between wilderness and our culture. Thousand of years of “cultural history” have separated us from wilderness which had at sometime in our history shaped ourselves and created other life-forms on Earth 2. However, even today there are wilderness poets who are greatly influenced by wilderness poets who explain the magical influence of wilderness on our psyche. He states that “encounters” with the wild have acted as “balms” for them 2. Max Oelschlaeger believes that such poets reflect in their writing their love for wilderness and the ancient connection between the two worlds. Such poets bring out the true relationship between wilderness and humans and the significance it has for us, believing strongly in the belief that wilderness is our true home. Among such wilderness poets are included Gary Snyder, Jack Kerouac, and Allen Ginsberg, among others. Gary Snyder: scholar, ecologist, a Beat, and wilderness poet-essayist Occupying a key role in multitudes of their poems, wilderness has indeed remained a central object of contemplation and revere for wilderness poets. Such poets swayed by their undying love and admiration of the wild world are known as wilderness poets. They try to bring forth the harmonious connection between the natural and human world, juxtaposing their elements, which reflects their belief in the deep and undeniable link between the two worlds. Professing and advocating concepts of “wild mind, neighbourhood values, and watershed politics” in the present day, Gary Snyder is a professor in literature and “wilderness thought”, and a profound practitioner and believer in Zen Buddhism 3. Besides being influenced greatly by the American Indians and their profound interaction with forces of nature at an early age, he is also driven by his anthropological studies, Buddhism, and environmentalism 4. For Gary Snyder, a wild mind means, “elegantly self-disciplined and self-regulating”. This is what constitutes wilderness 3. Wilderness has been his core thought driving him to bring forth amazing connections between wild and human world in his poems. The love for nature and “untamed wilds of the Earth” also has been the driving force behind his work of poetry 4. His poems enriched with glimpses of the wild forces of nature and wilderness lead us to realise how deeply wilderness such as “ecology, bioregionalism, and sustainable culture” is interlinked and intertwined with our lives 5. Gary Snyder, almost always regarded as a Beat poet like Allen Ginsberg, relied on his own thoughts and “core” to guide his work and writings, instead of being guided by the current trends during the 1950s. Written in first person, his poems reflect his own experiences or things that he has “seen or heard” and which “mirror the world outside” 6. The traditional relationship and interaction of the American Indians with nature deeply fascinated Gary Snyder, which later led to the creation of marvellous and beautifully written poems of wilderness in their relationship with the human world. The Back Country (1967): a comparison and contrast between wild and human worlds The Back Country, a collection of poems, written by Gary Snyder was published in 1967. This book of poems reflects the comparison and contrast between the two worlds of wilderness and human, as thought by Gary Snyder. Exemplifying the claim of Max Oelschlaeger, two poems namely “Trail Crew Camp at Bear Valley, 9000 ft Northern Sierra – White Bone and Threads of Snowmelt Water” and VII of this book, represent the wilderness poets commitment to establish the ancient connection between the two worlds. Both poems reflect the “romantic” ideas, “wild”, and “Buddhist philosophy” in which Gary Snyder chiefly believed in and practised. Like a true Beat, he stated and expressed his own reflections of the wilderness or the natural forces of nature and their role in different aspects of life. The Back Country beautifully reiterates his thoughts and philosophy and is a collection of his work as a trail-worker, logger and forest ranger. The stark ideals of romanticism, Beat philosophy, Buddhist philosophy, and ecological thoughts have been brought out in full force in two of his poems. Mirroring his thoughts on the subtle yet profound relationship shared between the wild and human worlds, his poem “Trail Crew Camp at Bear valley, 9000 ft Northern Sierra – White Bone and Threads of Snowmelt Water” brings into light the idea of “human life living in harmony with the wild”, instead of being at odds with it. The second poem in the book highlights the influence of modernism upon Gary Snyder’s writing. It brings forth “concrete as well as natural images” in it. Juxtaposing images of forces of nature and human houses, it highlights the harmony as well as the contrast between the two worlds of wilderness and human. Abounding in anti-materialism or capitalist principles or philosophies, poem VII echoes the influence of wilderness on Gary Snyder’s mind and shows how greatly his poems bring out such thought processes. His idea of wilderness lies in “the self-disciplined elegance of wild mind” and he believes in following it to get “close to the existing world and its wholeness” 3. Described as an “eco-poet” and “eco-warrior”, he emphasises the importance of wilderness and states that growing industrialisation and urbanisation is “not evil, but is no progress either” 6. He describes how with time, there appears to be a growing chasm between the two worlds. With years of wilderness and nature influence, he remonstrates and tries to bring forth the importance of caring for wilderness, which he believes is the “root prescription for global crisis” 3. Allen Ginsberg: American wilderness poet Condemning materialism and advocating an escape from ‘mainstream definitions of “progress”’ among other things, Allen Ginsberg is considered to be a pioneer of Beats. He reiterated the importance of wilderness, which shaped many of his writings. A wilderness poet, influenced greatly by ideas of romanticism, modernism, Kagyu Buddhist practice, his background, he influenced, like other Beat poets, the cultural transformations that took place in the 1960s 7. His works have also led to an ecological awareness, which has been highlighted and upheld by poets like Gary Snyder and Michael McClure. Further, a thread of similarity also runs in the thoughts of the wilderness poets, which includes a “respect for land and indigenous people and creatures” 7.8. In his poem, A Desolation, Allen Ginsberg puts to light his ideas of wilderness. The poem makes us realise that an inseparable connection exists between wilderness and human world, and that humans are at home, peace, and rest in the wilderness. …I live here in the wilderness Awake and at home 9. Conclusion: An analysis of poems of wilderness poets reveals that there exists an ancient connection between the wild and human world which is brought forth by the wilderness writers, as claimed by Max Oelschlaeger. Wilderness and human world are distinct, as contrasted in the poems of many wilderness poets, but also heavily dependent and interlinked with each other. Throughout history, there has been an active, yet subtle ongoing interaction between the two worlds, as carried by American Indians, observed by Gary Snyder, besides many others. The very crux of our values has been shaped to a large extent by wilderness. “Independence” and “values of freedom”, among other values which constitute our culture have been defined by wilderness 10. American wilderness poets have realised the importance of wilderness and the need for harmony between nature and human world. They stress on the ancient connections between the two, bringing into light the interaction that existed between the traditional natives and forces of nature. The distinction between the two worlds is also brought about by wilderness poets who show how in modern times, there has been a gap between the two worlds, which can be dangerous for human world as well. The significance of wilderness and its preservation is important from ecological, scientific, spiritual, and educational aspects 10. According to Frederick Jackson Turner "it [America] came out of the forests and gained new strength each time it touched a frontier”11. Wilderness has been instrumental in fostering prosperity and growth of America and realised as its identity. Its immense importance has for centuries influenced American writing, which has in turn highlighted and made us realise the significant connection between the wild and human world. References: [Besides the numbered references, I have also included some other references which I have referred to in gaining a clear and detailed idea about the topic. Since they are important as well, I have listed them after the numbered references] 1. “What is Wilderness?” Outdoor Education Research and Evaluation Center February 2006. 29 March 2006 http://www.wilderdom.com/wilderness/WildernessDefinition.html 2. Oelschlaeger, Max. The Idea of Wilderness: From Prehistory to the Age of Ecology. Yale University Press, 1991. 3. Carolan, Trevor. “The Wild Mind of Gary Snyder.” Shambhala Sun Online: Buddhism Culture Meditation Life 28 March 2006 http://www.shambhalasun.com/Archives/Features/1996/May96/Snyder.htm. 4. “Gary Snyder.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia 2001. 28 March 2006 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gary_Snyder 5. “Gary Snyder.” Developing and Using Scenarios 2006. Global Business Network. 28 March 2006 http://www.gbn.com/PersonBioDisplayServlet.srv?pi=24735. 6. “About Gary Snyder.” Modern American Poetry 2000. Dept of English, University of Illinois. 28 March 2006 http://www.english.uiuc.edu/maps/poets/s_z/snyder/life.htm. 7. “Allen Ginsberg.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia 29 March 2006 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allen_Ginsberg. 8. “Beat Generation.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia 29 March 2006 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beat_poet. 9. Ginsberg, Allen. “A Desolation.” Poetry Connection.net. 29 March 2006 http://www.poetryconnection.net/poets/Allen_Ginsberg/8928. 10. “Why Wilderness?” Glacier National Park Electronic Field Trip. 29 March 2006 http://sd5.k12.mt.us/glaciereft/whywild.htm. 11. “A Brief History of Nature and American Consciousness.” Purple Mountain Majesty 1996. 29 March 2006 http://xroads.virginia.edu/~cap/NATURE/cap2.html. The World Conservation Union 1995. 28 March 2006 http://www.iucn.org/themes/wcpa/theme/Wilderness/Wilderness.html. Chamberlin, Jamie. “The Call of the Wild.” Monitor on Psychology 7 July/August 2005. American Psychological Association. 29 March 2006 http://www.apa.org/monitor/julaug05/closer.html. “Gary Snyder.” Poets.org. The Academy of American Poets 1997. 29 March 2006 http://www.poets.org/poet.php/prmPID/167. Iverson, Dave. “Whither Humanity in US Forest Service Policy Making?” USDA Forest Service 29 March 2006 http://www.fs.fed.us/eco/eco-watch/cronon99.html. Klein, David R. “Wilderness: A Western Concept Alien to Artic Cultures.” Information North 20.3 (September 1994): 20. Arctic Institute of North America. 29 March 2006 http://arcticcircle.uconn.edu/HistoryCulture/wilderness.html. “Wilderness.” Die.net. 29 March 2006 http://dict.die.net/wilderness/. “What does Wilderness Really Mean?” Wildlink 29 March 2006 http://wildlink.wilderness.net/wilderness.html. Allen Ginsberg. 29 March 2006 http://www.ginzy.com/. “Allen Ginsberg.” American Masters 2001. 29 March 2006 http://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/database/ginsberg_a.html. “Gary Snyder.” American Poems 2000. 29 March 2006 http://www.americanpoems.com/poets/Gary-Snyder. Read More