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American Earth Reading #1 George Perkins Marsh

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American Earth Reading #1 George Perkins Marsh

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Man and Nature

About The Author:

1801-1880 Served in congress as the American Minister. Lectured on philology and etymology.

Page 71–80

Summary:

This reading highlights the balance and relationship  between humans and nature and how we can have meaningful as well as detrimental impact depending on how we act. Marsh makes notes of deforestation, erosion, and other impacts that are related to human involvement. He suggest that without meaningful actions we will continue to deplete these natural resources and that taking a more sustainable approach with nature and our resources so future generations can enjoy the benefits for years to come.

"Man has too forgotten that the earth was given to him for usufruct alone, not for consumption, still less for profligate waste. Nature has provided against the absolute destruction of any."

“The relations between man and nature are so complicated and intricate that the evidence of their mutual influence is often in a great measure indirect; but if we take into account all that we know of the history of the human race and of the changes which have taken place in the physical world, it is evident that the human race has exercised an enormous and, in many respects, a disastrous influence upon the earth.”

“The forests, which are the most important feature of the natural landscape, are being rapidly destroyed by the relentless hand of man, who cuts them down without regard to the future.”

“The destruction of forests, the draining of marshes, and the destruction of the most important element of the soil, are all parts of a grand process of deterioration which is taking place.”

Style:

Descriptive observations

Rhetorical techniques:

Ethos, Pathos, and Logos all applied

Evidence based with both qualitative and quantitative data used to show the impacts of human activities on the environment.

Credibility used when giving credit or reference to other writers as well as environmentalist

Ethical appeal used when he argues that the misuse of natural resources is not only detrimental to the environment, but morally wrong.

Aesthetic techniques:

Metaphors and analogies such as comparing ecological systems to the human body/organs

Rich imagery of the landscapes and the natural beauty he is observing.

Purpose:

The purpose of this is to examine the impacts that humans have on nature, both profound and detrimental. It comes down to how we act and morals we choose to adapt. He really suggests that not only is it wrong to have the detrimental impacts on our environment, but it is also morally wrong and we have to be responsible for our actions for future years to come.

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The destruction of forests, the draining of marshes, and the destruction of the most important element of the soil, are all parts of a grand process of deterioration which is taking place

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A Thousand Mile Walk to the Gulf

"The sun shines not on us but in us"

"In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks".

A Windstorm in the Forest

"The storm is a grand symphony, and the trees are the instruments that play the music of the forest."

"The wildness of the forest is not to be measured by the size of the trees. The wildness of a tree is in its strength and freedom".

"The windstorm is the great revealer of the forest, showing the trees in their true grandeur".

My First Summer in the Sierra

The Sierra is a great cathedral, a house of prayer that can only be made by God’s own hand”.

“When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything else in the Universe”.

“The mountains are calling, and I must go”.

Hetch Hetchy Valley

“Hetch Hetchy is a grand landscape, a natural wonder of the world. Its valleys and peaks have a beauty and grandeur that should be preserved for all time.”

“Wilderness is a necessity, not a luxury. It is an essential part of the life of the soul”.

“The destruction of Hetch Hetchy is a loss not only to Yosemite but to humanity. It is a desecration of a temple of nature.”

About The Author:

1838-1914 A Thousand-Mile Walk to the Gulf American Environmentalist founded the Sierra Club and preserved Yosemite. Proved controversial theories about glaciation. A close acquaintance of Theodore Roosevelt and looked upon as a "hero" in environmentalism and conservation.

Page 85–112

Summary:

Muir writes a detailed memoir about his journey from the Appalachian Mountains to the Gulf's waters in Florida. He reflects on what it is he is observing and encountering. Muir's detailed memoir makes you take on a different kind of appreciation for nature and the services it has to offer.

"What is the use of all this beauty and wealth of nature if it is not to be enjoyed?"

"The river was full of the color and the light of the sky, and its waves were like the laughing, dancing of the sun."

"The forest is a cathedral where we come to worship in nature’s temple."

"The mountain ash and the mountain maple were now glowing in all their autumn splendor, and the wild grape vines were running all over the trees and bushes, and the berries were shining like jewels in the sun."

“In the midst of the storm, the forest seemed to be in a state of wild, primal celebration, as if it were rejoicing in its own strength and resilience.”

Style:

First hand memoir

Rhetorical techniques:

Logos he provides arguments about the need for conservation and the importance of preserving natural landscapes.

Pathos used to describe in great detail the landscapes he is observing.

Ethos- Muir uses his credibility as an American Environmentalist to reflect on the importance of conservation.

Aesthetic techniques:

Descriptive imagery and use of words that create more powerful imagery and sense of being in the picture.

Metaphors and similes used to better relate what he is saying about nature to the reader. He uses a great deal of symbolism as well as descriptive language that captures the reader and makes then also take on an appreciation of nature through what they are reading.

Purpose:

The main reasoning for Muir's memoir from the Appalachian Mountains to the Gulf seas, is to share his observations and experiences with the reader so that they too can gain an appreciation of nature and the resources that lie within. He takes on a new kind of appreciation for nature and is sharing his journey in hopes that someone else can also see this natural beauty for all that it is worth with elevated appreciation. He often refers to nature in terms of temples expressing its worth to him.

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This Land Is Your Land

About The Author:

This Land Is Your Land 1940 Greatest Folk Singer of the 20th century, the voice of the Dust Bowl and union movement.

Page 258-259

Summary:

Folk song written by Woody Guthrie in 1940. The message “This land is your land, This land my land” is the key message of the song and is used repetitively throughout. “This land was made for you and me.” makes the reader or listener evoke feelings about the lands and the beauty of what is “ours”.

"This land is your land, this land is my land,

From the redwood forest to the New York Island,

The Canadian mountain to the gulf stream waters,

This land is made for you and me"(Guthrie,258).

“There was a big, high wall there that tried to stop me

A sign was painted said "Private Property"

But on the backside, it didn't say nothing

This land was made for you and me” (Guthrie).

"Nobody living can ever stop me

As I go walking my freedom highway

Nobody living can make me turn back

This land is made for you and me"(Guthrie,259).

Style:

Poetry

Rhetorical techniques:

Pathos appeals to the emotions of the reader/listener

Repetition with lines such as “This land is our land, this land is your land” and “this land was made for you and me”.

Aesthetic techniques:

Personal connection

Simple and catchy for people to remember

Repetition

Direct connection with the reader

Purpose:

This land is your land, the main purpose is to highlight the beauty of the shared lands and what is actually “ours”. These lands were made for us and they depend on us.

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this land is your land this land is my land 

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American Earth Reading #3 Robert Marshall

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American Earth Reading #3 Robert Marshall

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Wintertrip into New Country

About The Author:

1901-1939 from the Adirondack Mountains of New York 1st to climb/list the 46 High Peaks Founded the Wilderness Society in 1935. Winter trip into New Country is about some of his early explorations in Brooks Range. He named the gates of the Arctic mountains that serve as the core of America's largest national park.

Page 225–234

Summary:

This journal of Robert (Bob) Marshall is quite the reflective piece on indigenous culture and the environment. It talks of their journey into the snowy mountains to discover something never before seen. As they travel up river with the pack of dogs they talk about their daily routine and really shows how indigenous culture respects and uses the land. Their values show how they do not take anything they do not need from nature, only the means for survival. Human and nature are deeply intertwined and this spiritual journey upriver really shows. Seeing something untouched and so pristine as this valley is rare and adds to the beauty of the wildness.

"If I had a hundred thousand dollars today, I wouldn't quit this life in the hills. I'd get a little better equipment and I'd go outside and get married, but I'd come right back in here again. I know what life is like and it doesn't appeal to me. I've lived this free life in here too long".

"It was a peaceful, cheerful valley, all sunlight and flawlessly blue sky and snow".

"It was work, but work filled with delight in the beauty of that bright valley, the increasing wildness of the country ahead, and the mystery of which gorge before us carried the main tributary of this never followed river".

"We discovered that Clear River emerged from none of the three gorges we had imagined, but from a hidden valley which turned almost at right angles to the east".

"I cannot convey in words my feeling in finding this broad valley lying there, just as fresh an untrammeled as at the dawn of geological eras hundreds of millions of years ago".

Style:

Journal/ personal reflection/ narrative

Rhetorical techniques:

Pathos from his credibility and uses ethos as he describes the beauty of the untouched snowy mountains.

Ethos

Aesthetic techniques:

Descriptive imagery is used to make the reader have a clear picture of the observations.

Purpose:

Marshall's purpose in this piece is highlighting the beauty of the untouched pristine landscape. He expresses the importance of preserving and protecting these native lands from disruption and modernization.

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A Short History of America

About The Author:

1943 “The founding father of the underground comics”. Illustrated an edition of Edward Abbey’s The Monkey Wrench Gang in 1985. Known

Page 590-594

Summary:

This image is a powerful display of how land has changed throughout the history of America. It is a satirical comic strip used to capture the imagery. It starts with untouched natural land that is rich in biodiversity. It evolved with the railroad evolution and is eventually impacted further by humans with development, powerlines, roads, fragmentation, commercialization and industrialization. You see less biodiversity throughout the scenes overtime and are left with an urbanized city that was once so pristine.

Style:

Imagery

Comedy

Rhetorical techniques:

Pathos captures the emotions of the viewer with the powerful imagery.

Imagery with the satire comic strip

Satire capturing the humor of the change in evolution of land.

Juxtaposition comparing the different images to one another to highlight the impact that humans have had overtime on natural resources such as untouched land that was once rich in biodiversity.

Aesthetic techniques:

Detailed illustrations

Contrast or juxtaposition of imagery

Comical exaggeration

Purpose:

The purpose of the satirical comic strip made by R. Crumb is to capture and really illustrate the impact human development has had on biodiversity overtime. This history of events shows the progression in development and the lack of biodiversity from the once untouched native lands. It shows that once the process starts it will worsen in time. It highlights the  negative impacts on both society and the environment.

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American Earth Reading #6 Henry David Thoreau

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American Earth Reading #6 Henry David Thoreau

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Journals of Henry David Thoreau

About The Author: 1837 American Environmentalist. Famous journal entries such as Walden and Huckleberries, a late essay on modern nature.

Page 2-36

Summary:

Thoreau notates his journal entries with his general observation of the natural world and expresses his emotions throughout with candid responses that highlight the beauty as well as the cruel reality of what is coming of our planet and natural resources.

“Every part of nature teaches that the passing away of one life is making room for another” (Thoreau, 2).

“I find it good to remember the eternity behind me as well as the eternity before” (Thoreau, 3).

“ Most men, it appears to me, do not care for nature and would sell their share in all her beauty, for as long as they may live, for a stated and not very large sum”(Thoreau, 32).

“Nature is but another name for health”(Thoreau, 36)

Style:

Descriptive journal entries of personal reflections.

Rhetorical techniques:

Imagery of the nature and issues surrounding him.

Metaphors and similes “Like beaver or insects gnawing at the trunk of the noble tree”.

“I wish to see the earth through the medium of much air or heaven - for there is no paint like air”

Aesthetic techniques:

Rich imagery

Lyrical/Poetic

Firsthand perspective of the candid nature.

Purpose:

Thoreau’s candid first hand perspective of nature and the issues at hand capture the feelings about nature, society, and his own beliefs. His observations of nature suggest that nature plays a much larger role in our lives.

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I wish to see the earth through the medium of much air or heaven - for there is no paint like air”

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The Green Studies Reader #2 Henry David Thoreau

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The Green Studies Reader #2 Henry David Thoreau

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Writing the Wilderness

Author:

Henry David Thoreau

Title:

Writing the Wilderness

Page 23-25

Summary:
Thoreau's personal reflection on nature is similar to Blakes in the sense that they do not view nature or the wilderness as a physical place, but rather a connection between the imagination/ spirituality and the environment. It is a place of personal reflection and perception.

Notes/Quotes:
"The west of which I speak is but another name for the Wild; and what I have been preparing to say is, that in Wildness is the preservation of the World" (Thoreau, 23).

"Dullness is but another name for tameness"(Thoreau, 23).

"In short all good things are wild and free"(Thoreau, 24).

Questions?

How can Thoreau's ideas on imagination and nature be applied to modern day ideas and perceptions? How would this impact sustainability? How is this different or similar to William Blake's piece about Nature as Imagination?

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Leaves of Grass

About The Author:

1819-1892 “America's first original poet”, “This compost”, “The Song of The Redwood Tree”

Page. 62-70

Summary:

This poetic piece by Walt Whitman illustrates the interconnectedness of all forms and walks of life. It highlights personal experience with nature and the importance of it.

Style:

Poetry

Rhetorical techniques:

Ethos

Pathos

Repetition

Self-perspective

List of experiences/people used to capture the diversity.

Engages personally

Aesthetic techniques:

Strong Imagery

Symbolism

List of experiences/people

Repetition

Purpose:

Through his poetic writing, Whitman captures the experience of American life and expresses a vision of a more connected, harmonious world that is intertwined.

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The Green Studies Reader #1 William Blake

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The Green Studies Reader #1 William Blake

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Nature as Imagination

Author:

William Blake

Title:

Nature as Imagination

Page 16

Summary:
Blake provides rich imagery with his unique style of poetry. He uses his worlds to reflect on nature as it is defined and related to the human mind and our deep imagination. He sees nature as a reflection of our imagination and up to the individual how that is to be perceived. Not everyone sees the same things or has the same perception or reality as one another and that is what makes the connection between our imagination and nature to be so beautifully unique. A lot of rich metaphors are used to describe this inner relationship.

Notes/Quotes:

"I feel that a man may be happy in this world. And I know that this world is a world of imagination and vision. I see everything I paint in this world, but every body does not see alike" (Blake, 16).

"But to the eyes of the man of imagination, Nature is imagination itself" (Blake, 16).

"To me this world is all one continued vision of fancy or imagination" (Blake, 16).

"Nature is imagination itself" (Blake, 16).

Questions:

Why is the Bible more entertaining and instructive than any other book? Is it more because of the spirituality or understanding/reasoning?

How can Blake’s ideas on imagination and nature be applied to modern day ideas and perceptions? How would this impact sustainability?

Do you find that Blake and Thoreau have similar ideas and perceptions about human/nature and interconnectedness?

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this world is a world of imagination and vision