Question

After earning a few dollars working on my brother-in law's farm near Portage [Wisconsin], I set off on the first of my long lonely excursions, botanising in glorious freedom around the Great Lakes and wandering through innumerable tamarac and arbor-vitae swamps, and forests of maple, basswood, ash, elm, balsam, fir, pine, spruce, hemlock, rejoicing in their bound wealth and strength and beauty, climbing the trees, revelling in their flowers and fruit like bees in beds of goldenrods, glorying in the fresh cool beauty and charm of the bog and meadow heathworts, grasses, carices, ferns, mosses, liverworts displayed in boundless profusion.

Choose two of the following phrases Muir uses in his writing about the Calypso Borealis. In two to three sentences, explain how these words reveal his attitude toward nature.

botanising in glorious freedom

rejoicing in their bound wealth and strength and beauty

revelling in their flowers and fruit like bees in beds of goldenrods

glorying in the fresh cool beauty and charm of the bog

Answer 1

Using the phrases "botanising in glorious freedom" and "rejoicing in their bound wealth and strength and beauty" it shows he has an appreciative attitude toward nature. Using words like freedom and beauty that have positive connotations, show that he has a positive outlook for nature. The way he talks about nature being wealthy, strong and beautiful reveals an appreciation for the subject (nature) that he is talking about.

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