Appreciating Life
A comparison of two nature poems
Introduction
Have you ever stopped to appreciate the beauty that is in nature? Have you ever questioned why things are the way they are? Two poems I've read really make you stop and think. "When It Is Snowing," by Siv Cedering, and "Poppies," by Roy Scheele, make a person stop and think of the beauty of nature and leave you with more questions than you had when you first looked.
Word Choice & Tone
"When It Is Snowing" has a very clear message in it's few simple words. The author seems to want us to stop and reflect on the quiet snowy backyard and the beauty we find with one spot of blue standing out. However, "Poppies" seems to have more action going on. He describes how "the breeze moves across" the flowers filled with light (line 3). The author does not create a still image in your mind, but he wants to focus on the beauty of the flower's movement.
Figurative Language
"When It Is Snowing" has simple words that paint a clear picture in my head. I can imagine the snowy backyard and the one spot of blue that stands out. However, the image created in "Poppies" is a little harder to understand because the author uses similes such as the light that "stands as clear as water" (line 1). The simile does help me to understand how the cup-like flowers look like they are filled up with light.
Structure and Form
In "When It Is Snowing," author Cedering chooses short words in short lines and the whole poem is only one stanza. One part that stands out to me is when he describes the blue jay as "...the only piece of / sky / in my backyard" (lines 3-5). The word "sky" is it's own line, which helps me to focus just on that one word and how blue that bird really is, surrounded by snow. Something so big as the sky could be contained in one small shape.
The poem "Poppies" has a similar feel to it. Author Scheele chooses to have a close rhyme pattern of A-B-A-B, which gives a little rhythm to the poem. This rhythm makes me think of a slow rocking chair or the way the poppies sway in the breeze.
Conclusion
In conclusion, I believe both poems describe a simple beauty that a person needs to stop if they are going to notice. You might miss a bird in your backyard if you don't see the color stand out. You might miss the flowers filled with light if you aren't stopping to look closely or notice their swaying motion. Both short poems give clear pictures of the beauty that nature contains, if only we stop once in a while to pay attention.