Themes of Turtle Island

1) "Coyote Valley Spring" p15
In this poem, Snyder's theme is the beautiful innocence animals can possess, and also the power of of nature.  The poem begins with a description of cubs tumbling in the damp leaves, which shows the relation of animals to human, and how both species enjoy playful time together.  The power of nature is exemplified when Snyder refers to rocks crumbling, and the earth shifting things.  Rockfalls and earthquakes are two powerful forces of the earth, and not only are they powerful, they're uncontrollable.  And while one would think man would be in awe of the Earth due to the simple power of these tow forces, the word "slip" used in line 11 suggests differently.  The fact that birds slip through the air, and Earth is constantly shifting with no effect on man, show how nature constantly goes unnoticed by man, which is perhaps why mankind has no problem with destroying it.  Ayako Takahashi makes a relevant point in "The Shaping of Gary Snyder's Ecological Consciousness" when she says "In western civilization nature is often seen as an object to be conquered, to be used for healing, or to be exploited as the source of a mysterious experience--in any case, as the other."  Because nature differs from man in many aspects, mankind has placed themselves above nature in the realms of the universe, instead of alongside it.

2) "The Wild Mushroom" p46
This poem's rhyme brings a sense of playfulness to a subject that can be very crucial to someone surviving of nourishment found in nature.  The crucial aspect of this poem is that eating the wrong thing, in the case a Boletus, can lead to death. (line 8) But the theme of this poem is ironic.  Because although mankind does know power lies within nature, one would not associate power within something as small as a mushroom.  But although much smaller, less complex and most likely considered insignificant to man, a mushroom can determine a man's fate.  Snyder's playfulness reflects the fact that he sees the humor in this irony, most likely because mankind fails to respect nature.  George Perkins Marsh discusses in his article "Man and Nature," how mankind constantly consumes and even destroys plant and animal life, with no intentions of giving back or preserving nature.  And although many would not consider one eating mushrooms for nourishment an offense against nature, it does reflect how the carelessness of mankind can lead to serious consequences.

3) "Dusty Bones" p75
The theme of this poem is Snyder expressing his anger towards the men before him that did damage towards nature that had lasting consequences.  Nine Bows is a common term used to describe enemies in Egypt, which is what Snyder expresses towards his ancestors. George Perkins Marsh discusses the same issue in his piece "Man and Nature," when he disccusses that man's damage to earth takes a long time to heal, and the healing cannot begin until he completely "withdraws the arm that gave the blow" (Marsh, 172).

Marsh, George Perkins. "Man and Nature."Organization Environment. (2002): 170-177. Web. 8
         Sep. 2012.

Takahashi, Ayako. "The Shaping of Gary Snyder's Ecological Consciousness." Comparative Literature  
        Studies. (2002): 314-325. Web. 8 Sep. 2012.