Maddie's Nature Blog

  In our penultimate class, we had our Mary Oliver presentations. Originally, I thought I would present the poem “Just as the Calendar Began to Say Summer”. The poem's major themes hit home for me, especially Oliver's struggle with the academic grind, torn between school and the allure of nature. As a kid, I also struggled with going to school and would have rather spent time outside playing with friends. At the last minute, I decided to change to the poem “Don’t Hesitate”. After reading and analyzing this piece, I noticed it related much closer to the issues I am facing in my life currently. Oliver made me realize that I should seek joy in my life without regard to how that will be perceived by others.      Hearing my other classmates discuss their poems of choice was beautiful. I think it is amazing that we were all able to find different poems that spoke to us and had special meaning as well. I liked hearing about the poem “Backyard” and Ashton's reflections on ...

Now that I'm free to be myself, who am I?  Can't fly, can't run, and see how slowly I walk.  Well, I think, I can read books.  "What's that you're doing?"  the green-headed fly shouts as it buzzes past.  I close the book.  Well, I can write down words, like these, softly.  "What's that you're doing?" whispers the wind, pausing in a heap just outside the window. Give me a little time, I say back to its staring, silver face.  It doesn't happen all of a sudden, you know.  "Doesn't it?" says the wind, and breaks open, releasing distillation of blue iris.  And my heart panics not to be, as I long to be, the empty, waiting, pure, speechless receptacle.      Mary Oliver's poem "Blue Iris" delves into the beauty of nature, emphasizing the transient nature of life. The blue iris serves as a powerful symbol, embodying both enchanting allure and fleeting impermanence. Oliver prompts readers to reflect on the fragility...

     Over Thanksgiving break, I was able to walk around UNT's campus and observe the nature in Denton.  On this particular day, it was cold and windy, which is not my favorite kind of weather. Thankfully, I was dressed in appropriate clothing for the day, in layers and insulated shoes. Just the week prior we had our class activity to walk around campus, so I thought it was fun to contrast the two schools.      UNT is a younger university than TCU, being founded in 1890. However, it has been in north Texas longer, since TCU was only moved to Fort Worth in 1910. This explains the older feel of the university. Every building had a slightly different style and was visibly more worn than what you see on TCU’s campus. The science buildings exuded a sense of history and embodied a traditional university atmosphere. In contrast, the business building had recently undergone renovation. This observation resonated with themes discussed in our environmentalist wri...

If you suddenly and unexpectedly feel joy,  don’t hesitate. Give in to it. There are plenty of lives and whole towns destroyed or about to be. We are not wise, and not very often kind. And much can never be redeemed. Still, life has some possibility left. Perhaps this is its way of fighting back, that sometimes something happens better than all the riches or power in the world. It could be anything, but very likely you notice it in the instant when love begins. Anyway, that’s often the case. Anyway, whatever it is, don’t be afraid of its plenty. Joy is not made to be a crumb.      This poem intrigued me because of its title. My initial reaction was, who would hesitate to feel joy? If there are people who hesitate, why would that be? What is there to fear? I suppose this is a naive thought for me to have. Some people grow skeptical of joy because they have been scarred before, perhaps by another person or by a situation. It becomes easier to be sad and miserable b...

Oh do you have time to linger for just a little while out of your busy and very important day for the goldfinches that have gathered in a field of thistles for a musical battle, to see who can sing the highest note, or the lowest, or the most expressive of mirth, or the most tender? Their strong, blunt beaks drink the air as they strive melodiously not for your sake and not for mine and not for the sake of winning but for sheer delight and gratitude – believe us, they say, it is a serious thing just to be alive on this fresh morning in the broken world. I beg of you, do not walk by without pausing to attend to this rather ridiculous performance. It could mean something. It could mean everything. It could be what Rilke meant, when he wrote: You must change your life.     What caught my attention about this poem was how Mary Oliver almost mockingly remarks on the reader's "busy day." When I read it in my head, I heard her using a cheeky tone, being playful or sarcastic. But...

     This morning, I decided to run for the first time in a couple of weeks. I had meant to run and walk around my new neighborhood for a while but had not made the time for it. I finally had the opportunity to go to bed early the night before and utilized my time by waking up with enough time in the morning to go on this run.      As expected, going on this run made me feel energized and happy. The sun was only just rising from the sky, so it was the perfect temperature to be outside. Not only that, the humidity was relatively low and there was no strong wind which made for a comfortable atmosphere outside.       Near my house is the Worth Hills Park. I chose to head there first to observe the nature in the area. As I ran to that area, I noticed the lush and vast amount of trees lining the neighborhood. There seemed to be many species of trees, all in varying shades of green and stages of life. Some of the trees were even growing out on...

  Coda: Wilderness Letter by Wallace Stegner demonstrates the author advocating for wilderness preservation for its intrinsic value as a “wilderness idea”. Stegner is a conservationist who believes in the healing and spiritual power of nature, urging for the protection of these sacred spaces. He is writing to David Pesonen , an environmental activist and someone who worked on the Outdoor Recreation Resources Review Commission.       Stegner argues that the recreation report should consider the value that nature brings, not just traditional recreation activities. He states, “If we permit the last virgin forests to be turned into comic books and plastic cigarette cases; if we drive the few remaining members of the wild species into zoos or extinction;...so that never again will Americans be free in their own country from the noise, the exhausts, the stinks of human and automotive waste”.      I thought this point was thought-provoking, as up to t...