In Gary Snyder's poem 'Front Line (pg 18), he explains the clearing of land and how it effects the area. After the land has been cleared it is shown by some Realtor and is not always guaranteed to be sold, even after all of the destruction. It rained for ten days, which delayed logging and the trees were relieved to have their lives temporarily prolonged. Raping and pillaging the land is horrible, but where does it stop?
Control Burn (pg 19), compares how the Indians use to burn the forests to help things grow, while the wild fires of today are catastrophic. Fire was a way to open up certain seeds and allow things to grow better and rejuvenate than the plants would be able to normally. Due to the litter of logging and the overgrowth of underbrush, the plants spark horrific fires that quickly destroy everything in there path. Nature needs o be respected because if people had enough respect to not remove large numbers of trees, then maybe fires would cause less damage.
I Went Into the Maverick Bar (pg 9) Gary describes his visit to a bar: how he was dressed, the people around him, and how they interacted. He describes a couple dancing and how they remind him of his past. He loses himself in the moment and forgets about the stupidity of America, almost falling in love with it again. As he rides home, he soon remembers the task at hand and the real work that must be done to open America's eyes to the dangers of mistreating the environment.
These are all good summaries of the poems you chose. When reading "Front Line" for the first time, I must have just glazed over the realtor and the rape part, but it is a very vivid and graphic poem for that. You are also very right that people do not respect the forests as much as they should. We need to go back to the ways of the Native Americans. Great job!
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