Explication of Mary Oliver’s “The Black Snake” - 1144 Words

In Mary Oliver’s poem â€Å"The Black Snake,† the narrator contemplates the cycle of life with the unpredictability of death. Mary Oliver’s work is â€Å"known for its natural themes and a continual affirmation of nature as a place of mystery and spirituality that holds the power to teach humans how to value one’s life and one’s place† (Riley). In the poem, The Black Snake, the narrator witnesses a black snake hit by a truck and killed on a road one morning. Feeling sympathy for the snake, the narrator stops, and removes the dead snake from the road. Noting the snake’s beauty, the narrator carries it from the road to some nearby bushes. Continuing to drive, the narrator reflects on how the abruptness of death ultimately revealed how the†¦show more content†¦The truck was the cause of the snake’s demise. That is how death happens. The snake symbolizes death as dark and evil. The second begins with â€Å"Now, he l ies looped and useless† (5). Beginning with â€Å"when† and progressing to â€Å"now†, the poet is suggesting a cause and effect philosophy. The snake quickly flashed across the road, but after being hit by the truck, lies â€Å"useless† in the road. The poet has given the snake a male identity. The narrator describes the snake as â€Å"an old bicycle tire† (6). The poet uses this technique of imagery to portray the now lifeless snake, as an old rubbery tire tube. The narrator reads â€Å"I stop the car† (7). This conveys that the narrator is an observer, and telling the story from a third person point of view. The narrator feels some sort of remorse or sympathy for the snake, removes him from the road, and carries â€Å"him into the bushes† (8). The poet uses â€Å"bushes† to indicate where the snake is taken to, and hidden or out of sight of the road. The third stanza describes the snake as â€Å"cool and gleaming as a braided whip† (9-10). Describing the snake as a braided whip demonstrates the intricate woven pattern of the snake’s scales and the poet’s appreciation for nature and its’ beauty. The snake is not a useless piece of rubber, but a beautiful and vibrant part of nature. â€Å"He is as beautiful and quiet as a bead brother† (10-11). The snake is quiet, makes no sound, and snuggles into

The Heroes Of Uranus And Sea Of The Underworld

In the beginning there was Chaos (not disorder) and from Chaos came Gaia (Earth) and Eros (Sexual Attraction) who birthed Erebus (darkness of the underworld), Nyx (night), Uranus (sky) and Pontus (sea).When each of those Titans were born their power is new, for example when Nyx was born so was the night. The most important Titan came from Uranus and Gaia who had Cronus (father of the Olympians) when Gaia had each one of her children Uranus grew more and more jealous that when their children were born he would shove them back into the womb. When Gaia grew uncomfortable with her womb full of children, she planned Cronus’s demise; she made an iron sickle and gave it to Cronus who was still in the womb. During intercourse between the two†¦show more content†¦When Zeus was older he and his mother plotted against Cronus to free Zeus’s brothers and Sisters. One night when Cronus asked Gaia for a drink she made him and emetic potion which caused Cronus to vomit all of his children and the rock. All emerged unharmed. By unanimous decision, the siblings chose Zeus to lead them to a war against Cronus and the rest of the mighty Titans (‘Zeus, the Master of the Greek Universe’, 2008). When the Olympians made Zeus their king, they went to war with Cronus and his allies. When Cronus called for the titans to go to war only five of them actually did while the others were too afraid of the Olympians, There were daily battles that would last up to ten years or until one of the titans or the Olympians retreated. Gaia looking for a way to stop the war sought a the advice of an oracle in order to give Zeus an upper hand the oracle said he needs to forge an alliance with his uncles (three hundred handed giants known as Hecantonchires and three Cyclopes) who were both imprisoned in tartarus because Chronis was afraid that they would over throw him. Zeus immediately went down to Tartarus and freed them. The Cyclopes and the Hecantonchires were so gr ateful they made Zeus, Hades, and Poseidon one object each. For Zeus they forged thunder bolts, for Hades they forged him the helmet of darkness that makes the wearer invisible, and finally for Poseidon they made a triton that would become a symbol of the future sea

New Forest Coastline Free Essays

The New Forest coastline is situated between the Dorset border and the Southampton Water on the south-west coast of Britain. It is split into three main areas and is managed mainly by the New Forest District Council but also other councils. The three areas are, Christchurch Bay, Western Solent, and Southampton Water. We will write a custom essay sample on New Forest Coastline or any similar topic only for you Order Now There is a big issue that affects this coastline. The cliffs on the coast are slowly being eroded, and the low-lying areas need to be protected from coastal flooding. Natural landscapes and wildlife habitats need to be protected for people who want to work and visit the areas. This problem attracts a lot of interest from all the councils who try and decide what system and form of protection should be used. Physical Features Human Land-use The coastline is lined with many landforms and the land surrounding the area is used by humans for various activities. Christchurch Bay between Highcliffe and Hurst Spit has very narrow shingle beaches on its coastline and is backed by cliffs that are up to 30m in height. These cliffs are mainly made of sand and clay and are subject to erosion and in some places the cliffs have retreated up to 60m over 25 years. Even built up areas are exposed to coastal flooding and occasionally experience mudflows and landslips. Hurst Spit itself is vulnerable to the erosion of the sea after having been breached over several years. The area is used mainly for settlement and many villages have been built up along the coast all of which are in danger of flooding and/or collapsing. The Western Solent between Hurst Spit and Calshot is slightly different to Christchurch Bay. This area is full of coastal marshes with a lot of wildlife and animal habitats. This area is low-lying and therefore there is a major risk of flooding, especially when there are high tides and heavy rain. There are also two river estuaries from the Lymington River and the Beaulieu River. This area is used for boat-building and repair but also for recreational sailing. Southampton Water is situated between the towns of Calshot and Redbridge. There are coast marshes and intertidal areas with a great nature and wildlife value. The area is at risk from water pollution caused by domestic sewage and industrial waste. This former river estuary has been now developed and is used for major industry including oil refining and there is also a power station. The rest of the area is used for housing. Why we Need a Coastal Management System There is a big need for a coastal management system. Human activity has influenced the area because the scenery and recreational activities and potential attract many visitors and holiday-makers. Many other people emigrate there because it provides an attractive environment to live, work and retire. The coastline brings in more money for the locals in the form of â€Å"foreigners† and therefore without the coastline many people would have no source of income. However, human activity provides a certain amount of pressure which threatens to change the coastline and its natural ecological balance. Apart from human factors physical factors hat take place also influence the coastline’s shape. Waves, Currents, groundwater, movements and weathering have a considerable impact on the shape of the coastline and human activity – this must be to be taken into account when deciding management proposals for the coast. Action taken by the Local Authority The local authority has done a lot of work involving the coastline and now must set up a management scheme to stop many risks. Over various years many protection methods have been used. Concrete sea-walls were built to protect the cliffs; however it has been proven that actually absorb the wave energy instead of reflecting it. They are also an eye-sore. Groynes have also been introduced in the system and they stop the movement of material along beaches as well as widening them. Low-lying areas have been protected by dykes and flood walls, however some people have suggested that coastal flooding should take place as a natural event even if property is at risk. There have also been attempts to protect wildlife areas and bird sanctuaries. Their Objectives The New Forest District Council have many objectives and some are more important than others, including: 1. The coast need to be protected because many properties are lined on the cliff edges and there is a big risk of them collapsing. 2. Areas of value need to be protected as they attract tourists and bring in more money for the locals and the council so they can easily afford to protect the rest of the coastline. 3. The landscape is important as it also brings in more tourists with its natural beauty of which should be protected. 4. Pollution needs to be prevented so any sort of protection doesn’t become eroded by acid rain and also to improve the quality of life and the water that goes into the towns. 5. The coasts’ economy needs to be recognised so it can be maintained and the social functions of the coast can take place. 6. Cooperation is important between everyone from the local councils to the industry owners. 7. Public awareness needs to be improved to let people know where they stand and what danger they are in. 8. Historical aspects needs to protected because they are an important part of history, this is not very important. 9. Developing criteria for the development of the coast is important for future vents and emergencies. 10. The least important is recreational activities as these can be done in many other places. Alternative Suggestions There are any other ways in which the coastline can be protected. On the coast many things can be used for protection. A recurved sea wall can reflect the waves and push them back out to the sea. Rip-rap are large boulders used on the coast to absorb the wave energy and disperses it. Gabions are used to absorb some of the wave energy and stop erosion as do wooden revetments. To decide what to use we would use cost-benefit analysis which would allow us to make best use of our money. How to cite New Forest Coastline, Papers