The Natural World
Perhaps the most prominent theme through Snyder’s poems, the natural world and its many elements are featured consistently in Snyder’s poetic literature. Snyder uses his poetry to pay homage to the earth and the natural world. He views the natural world as the most powerful and important thing, which mankind must hold in high regard. In his poems, Snyder explores many different aspects of the natural world. In “The Uses of Light,” for example, he pays homage to the power of the sun’s light. He explains how it touches and directly influences hundreds of habitats, life-cycles, and environments. Similarly, in “As for Poets,” Snyder uses the earth’s most basic elements—fire, air, water—to characterize and describe the different types of poets. In “The Great Mother,” Snyder suggests that Mother Nature is not pleased with humanity’s treatment of the earth and its resources and is due to punish us, in turn, for our lack of respect for Her creation. In this way, it is clear that Snyder values the natural world and deeply respects it, and wishes for his readers to do the same.
The Plague of Mankind
This is a theme that is evident throughout many of Snyder’s poetry. Snyder uses his poem to convey messages of warning, in which he suggests that humankind has lost all respect for the planet and, in doing so, has become a plague that threatens to destroy in. In “The Call of the Wild,” for example, Snyder explains that humans once used to hunt directly from the earth. It was during these olden ages that we had more respect for our planet. Today, however, humans wage war against one another without any consideration of the consequences these actions will have upon the natural world. We selfishly destroy the environments and habitats that we have invaded and we no longer revere the power of the planet. In this way, Snyder views humanity as a scourge upon the earth—a plague that will destroy everything unless we learn how to once again respect our planet and fellow inhabitants.
The Dedication of Poets
Though Snyder dedicates much of his time to the exploration of the natural world and to warning humanity against our folly regarding our abuse of the planet, he also clearly respects his fellow poets. In “As for Poets,” Snyder characterizes six different types of poets and uses certain elements from the natural world to characterize these poets. The Water Poet, for example, is characterized by the fluidity and power of the ocean and sea. Much like the water, this type of poet is not limited by traditional writing constraints or topics; he or she feels free to explore numerous themes and ideas. In this way, this poem serves as a dedication to the work of fellow poets, each of whom approaches his/her poetry in a different manner. In spite of this, Snyder ensures that each poet’s work is valued and respected.
