I saw the spiders marching through the air, Swimming from tree to tree that mildewed day In latter August when the hay Came creaking to the barn. But where The wind is westerly, Where gnarled November makes the spiders fly Into the apparitions of the sky, They purpose nothing but their ease and die Urgently beating east to sunrise and the sea.
Interpretation
The quote describes the natural movements of spiders during late summer and reflects on the passage of time and life's transient nature.
In this quote, Robert Lowell beautifully illustrates the serene yet fleeting moments of nature, as spiders navigate through the air from tree to tree. The imagery evokes a sense of change with the passing seasons, particularly highlighting how the urgency of nature's creatures, like the spiders, mirrors our own struggles and the inevitable cycle of life and death. The mention of the westerly wind and the transition into winter serves as a metaphor for the larger journey of existence, urging us to reflect on how we approach life and our own mortality.
In practice
This quote can be used in a nature-themed presentation to emphasize the beauty and transience of life.
Pity the planet, all joy gone from this sweet volcanic cone; peace to our children when they fall in small war on the heel of small war--until the end of time to police the earth, a ghost orbiting forever lost in our monotonous sublime
Since I was a boy, from this house, I was out rescuing crocodiles and snakes. My mum and dad were very passionate about that and, I was lucky enough to go along.
Next time you're stunned by a large moon on the horizon, bend over and view it between your legs. The effect goes away entirely.
Nature makes nothing incomplete, and nothing in vain.
ALL things in Nature work silently. They come into being and possess nothing. They fulfil their functions and make no claim.
How I long to see among dawn flowers, the face of God.
We need to be realistic. There is very little we can do now to stop the ice from disappearing from the North Pole in the summer. And we probably cannot prevent the melting of the permafrost and the resulting release of methane. In addition, I fear that we may be too late to help the oceans maintain their ability to absorb carbon dioxide.
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