In the last few days, my American literature students have been studying the poetry of Robert Frost. While dialoguing about "Birches", I asked my students why people feel a need to get "in touch" with nature. Considering where we live, nature is spare. I asked students who had spent time traveling to Outer and Inner Mongolia where their thoughts took them while immersed in an unfamiliar expanse of nature. One student's reply astonished me; the depth of his thoughts were of someone far beyond the age of 17.
He mentioned that as he observed nature and the patterns of life within it, he realized how mechanical and cyclical life is. How he is a cog in the wheel of life, almost part of a machine. Being removed from the machine helped him to see the value of the "mechanisms" of life and to be a better participant overall.
Wow.
I think he could compete with Frost.
1 comment:
Was that Yang Sun? He has deep thoughts. :)
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