Prairie Presentation
By Kristine Goertzen
Prairie
A large open area of grassland
The Five Senses
Being out on the prairie you were able to experience all of the senses. I saw a big blue open sky, grass flowing in the breeze, a few trees, and bugs crawling along the ground and flying through the air. I could hear the wind rustling through the grass, the chirping birds, and locusts singing. You could smell the fresh air, and you could almost taste it to. As you walked you could feel the coarse leaves rubbing up against you, and the pointy sticks stabbing you. Experiencing all of these senses helped me feel a better connection to the prairie.
Growing up in a valley with lots of trees, I have never really played on the open prairie. Going out there and sitting in the quiet, I could almost picture myself as a child playing out there in an environment I never really had. I was always surrounded by towering trees, and so as I sat out there, I could sense the openness around me. I could feel the wind and hear it moving through the grass. The sense of being free was something different, and I enjoyed that greatly.
Now vs. Then
The prairie has changed since the Europeans first came, but it has also stayed the same in many ways. When the they first came, there were probably less trees, considering that most of the trees around now have been planted. Everything was grass, it probably seemed like the openness would go on forever. Now, instead of grass, it is corn and beans and other crops. The feel of a sea of grass is gone.
My Ántonia
Going to the prairie helped me feel a better connection to Ántonia and Jim. I was able to experience a small part of what their lives might have included. I couldn't picture the endless ocean of grass, but I could picture it in my mind after seeing that small section of prairie. I could somewhat understand how the prairie is ever-changing, and how it was an antagonist in My Ántonia. Being on the open grassland, I could picture myself being a new pioneer to Nebraska. It was fun to imagine what it would have been like back then.
Resources
"Prairie." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 11 Apr. 2014. Web. 10 Nov. 2014.
Cather, Willa. My Ántonia. New York: Houghton Mifflin, Co., 1995. Print.