“But Nature, in due course of time, once more
Shall here put on her beauty and her bloom.” ~ WW
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I believe the above lines from WW’s “Hart-Leap Well” denote the longevity of nature in respect to that of man. Economically, this seems to resemble the disconnect that arises between short-run and long run results. Specifically, profits can be made in the short term but, in the long run, they converge to zero due to free market forces. While this is an oversimplification of the economics, it seems as though such a rule can be used as a lens to view the relationship between man and nature. In the present and short term, man has the ability to objectify and manipulate the natural world. This is exemplified in deforesting and hydraulic fracturing (i.e. frac’ing) practices that contort nature into producing that which man values most: hydrocarbons. WW contests that while this may be the case in the present, nature “leaves these objects to a slow decay.” Moreover, WW states, the “monuments shall all be overgrown,” as nature returns to its dominance over man in the long term. Like has be oft talked about in class, this brings into question the hierarchical relationship between man and nature.
an interesting analogy! I began of course to think about McKibben's arguments here, which derail the assertions made by the narrator in this poem: will a milder day actually come? will the monuments be overgrown? The narrator seems relatively certain about this future, but the Sheppard hold a somewhat different view of the matter. Perhaps this difference is worth examining--
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