Poetry is human life set to rhythm, so everything is subject matter. Nothing inspires people more than nature, unless it's love. Famous poets strike chords in every heart with the beauty of their expression, and many of them write short poems hiking theme. There are also online poems which are fun to read and to write. The internet has opened up a way for all to share their feelings and impressions with others.
Taking a hike is different from walking. People walk on sidewalks, asphalt paths in parks, or in shopping malls. Health advisers suggest parking at the far end of the lot and walking to stores or the office, walking at lunchtime, and taking the stairs rather than the elevator.
Hiking immediately calls to mind leaving pavements behind and going where nature is unspoiled. If asked, most people would say that the scenery should include woods and mountains. People go out on week-ends and feel rejuvenated. The really serious hike along the Appalachian Trail. Some even make the round trip from Georgia to Maine, following the spine of several mountain ranges.
Anyone who likes this pastime will know what Gerard Manley Hopkins meant when he wrote of 'dappled things.' Sunlight falling through leaves onto the trail, fallen logs speckled with fungi, and the gleam of multi-colored pebbles through running water recall passages of his poetry.
Robert Frost gets almost mystical in his 'The Mountain', which expresses some of the mystery the peaks have always held for mankind. Stephen Crane penned the phrase, 'the march of the mountains', a wonderful visual of endless swells and folds leading the eye to infinity. A hiker who gets to the top of a rise, looks out over the world from a new vantage point, and remembers great poetry adds an extra dimension to the pleasure.
A beautiful and unique voice of American poetry came from Massachusetts, where Emily Dickinson lived as a recluse. Her poetry shows that she found an absorbing world in the wooded glades around her home. Many of her poems concern bees; searching that keyword will give hikers an idea of what Emily found on her hikes through the woods.
The memories of the trail reawaken while hikers sit at home in cozy chairs, reading great poetry. A hike is an adventure, a breaking-away from daily routine and entering another world where humans are small in scale and importance. However, the activity is significant in a way that mowing the grass or watching afternoon football will never be.
Even if poetic feelings never go beyond stirrings of the heart, if they never get set down on paper, just knowing how other people have felt over the centuries enriches the experience.
Taking a hike is different from walking. People walk on sidewalks, asphalt paths in parks, or in shopping malls. Health advisers suggest parking at the far end of the lot and walking to stores or the office, walking at lunchtime, and taking the stairs rather than the elevator.
Hiking immediately calls to mind leaving pavements behind and going where nature is unspoiled. If asked, most people would say that the scenery should include woods and mountains. People go out on week-ends and feel rejuvenated. The really serious hike along the Appalachian Trail. Some even make the round trip from Georgia to Maine, following the spine of several mountain ranges.
Anyone who likes this pastime will know what Gerard Manley Hopkins meant when he wrote of 'dappled things.' Sunlight falling through leaves onto the trail, fallen logs speckled with fungi, and the gleam of multi-colored pebbles through running water recall passages of his poetry.
Robert Frost gets almost mystical in his 'The Mountain', which expresses some of the mystery the peaks have always held for mankind. Stephen Crane penned the phrase, 'the march of the mountains', a wonderful visual of endless swells and folds leading the eye to infinity. A hiker who gets to the top of a rise, looks out over the world from a new vantage point, and remembers great poetry adds an extra dimension to the pleasure.
A beautiful and unique voice of American poetry came from Massachusetts, where Emily Dickinson lived as a recluse. Her poetry shows that she found an absorbing world in the wooded glades around her home. Many of her poems concern bees; searching that keyword will give hikers an idea of what Emily found on her hikes through the woods.
The memories of the trail reawaken while hikers sit at home in cozy chairs, reading great poetry. A hike is an adventure, a breaking-away from daily routine and entering another world where humans are small in scale and importance. However, the activity is significant in a way that mowing the grass or watching afternoon football will never be.
Even if poetic feelings never go beyond stirrings of the heart, if they never get set down on paper, just knowing how other people have felt over the centuries enriches the experience.
No comments:
Post a Comment