The Life Around Us: Selected Poems on Nature

Nature has always been a source of inspiration for poets, and some of the most beautiful and moving poems ever written have been about the natural world. This collection brings together a selection of poems that celebrate the beauty and wonder of nature, from ancient times to the present.

The Life Around Us: Selected Poems on Nature

by Denise Levertov

4.2 out of 5

Language	:	English
File size	:	685 KB
Text-to-Speech	:	Enabled
Screen Reader	:	Supported
Enhanced typesetting	:	Enabled
Print length	:	97 pages
Hardcover	:	48 pages
Item Weight	:	10.9 ounces
Dimensions	:	7.01 x 0.25 x 10 inches

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Ancient Poems on Nature

Some of the earliest poems about nature come from ancient Greece and Rome. These poems often describe the natural world in idyllic terms, as a place of peace and beauty. One of the most famous examples of this type of poetry is the "Ode to a Nightingale" by John Keats.

My heart aches, and a drowsy numbness pains My sense, as though of hemlock I had drunk, Or emptied some dull opiate to the drains One minute past, and Lethe-wards had sunk: 'Tis not through envy of thy happy lot, But being too happy in thine happiness,— That thou, light-winged Dryad of the trees, In some melodious plot Of beechen green, and shadows numberless, Singest of summer in full-throated ease.

Another example of an ancient poem on nature is the "Song of the Three Young Men" from the Book of Daniel. This poem describes the beauty of the natural world and the power of God.

Blessed art thou, O Lord our God, Who hast created heaven and earth, And all that therein is. Blessed art thou for the glory of thy name, And for the honour of thy kingdom. Blessed art thou in the firmament of heaven. Blessed art thou on the earth, And in all the deeps. Blessed art thou in the mountains, And in all the hills, And in all the valleys. Blessed art thou in the springs of water, And in all the rivers. Blessed art thou in the seas, And in all the creatures that move therein. Blessed art thou in the fowls of the air, And in all the beasts of the field. Blessed art thou in the flowers of the garden, And in all the fruits of the earth. Blessed art thou in the seasons of the year, And in all the days of the week. Blessed art thou in the light of the sun, And in the shining of the moon. Blessed art thou in the darkness of the night, And in the twinkling of the stars. Blessed art thou in the thunder and lightning, And in the storm and tempest. Blessed art thou in the snow and rain, And in the dew and mist. Blessed art thou in the heat and cold, And in the frost and ice. Blessed art thou in the wind and whirlwind, And in all the powers of nature. Blessed art thou in all thy works, And in all the creatures that thou hast made.

Medieval Poems on Nature

During the Middle Ages, nature was often seen as a symbol of God's creation. Many medieval poems on nature celebrate the beauty of the natural world and the power of God.

One of the most famous examples of a medieval poem on nature is the "Canterbury Tales" by Geoffrey Chaucer. This poem describes the journey of a group of pilgrims to Canterbury Cathedral. Along the way, the pilgrims tell stories about their lives and experiences. One of the stories, told by the Prioress, is about a young girl who is killed by a group of Jews. The girl's body is miraculously preserved, and she is eventually canonized as a saint.

Whan that Aprille with his shoures soote The droghte of March hath perced to the roote, And bathed every veyne in swich licour, Of which vertu engendred is the flour; Whan Zephirus eek with his swete breeth Inspired hath in every holt and heeth The tendre croppes, and the yonge sonne Hath in the Ram his halfe cours yronne, And smale foweles maken melodye, That slepen al the nyght with open eye, So priketh hem nature in hir corages, Thanne longen folk to goon on pilgrimages And palmeres for to seken straunge strondes To ferne halwes, kowthe in sondry londes; And specially from every shires ende Of Engelond to Caunterbury they wende, The hooly blisful martir for to seke, That hem hath holpen whan that they were seeke.

Another example of a medieval poem on nature is the "Pearl" by an anonymous author. This poem is a

The Life Around Us: Selected Poems on Nature

by Denise Levertov

4.2 out of 5

Language	:	English
File size	:	685 KB
Text-to-Speech	:	Enabled
Screen Reader	:	Supported
Enhanced typesetting	:	Enabled
Print length	:	97 pages
Hardcover	:	48 pages
Item Weight	:	10.9 ounces
Dimensions	:	7.01 x 0.25 x 10 inches

FREE