Question

Read the excerpt of John Muir's "Calypso Borealis" and answer the question.

[5] How long I sat beside Calypso I don't know. Hunger and weariness vanished, and only after the sun was low in the west I splashed on through the swamp, strong and exhilarated as if never more to feel any mortal care. At length I saw maple woods on a hill and found a log house. I was gladly received. "Where ha ye come fra? The swamp, that awfu' swamp. What were ye doin' there?" etc. "Mony a puir body has been lost in that muckle, cauld, dreary bog and never been found." When I told her I had entered it in search of plants and had been in it all day, she wondered how plants could draw me to these awful places, and said, "It's god's mercy ye ever got out."

[6] Oftentimes I had to sleep without blankets, and sometimes without supper, but usually I had no great difficulty in finding a loaf of bread here and there at the houses of the farmer settlers in the widely scattered clearings. With one of these large backwoods loaves I was able to wander many a long wild fertile mile in the forests and bogs, free as the winds, gathering plants, and glorying in God's abounding inexhaustible spiritual beauty bread. Storms, thunderclouds, winds in the woods—were welcomed as friends.

In a paragraph of 3–5 sentences, explain how Muir views nature. Support your answer with two examples from the passage. Explain how each example reveals his view of nature.

Answer 1

John Muir views nature as a place of spiritual beauty and exhilaration. Firstly, when he sat beside Calypso in the swamp, he felt his hunger and weariness vanish, and he was filled with a sense of exhilaration. Muir feels that the plants he was searching for can draw him to such "awful places" of nature. This reveals his view that nature is not simply a collection of physical objects, but is instead a place of spiritual fulfillment that can give humans a sense of purpose and joy. Secondly, Muir is able to find "glory" in God's "abounding inexhaustible spiritual beauty" in a simple loaf of bread. This implies that Muir views nature as a source of sustenance that is also spiritual and sacred. Muir takes pleasure in the simple things in life, and his enjoyment of the bread and the natural world suggests that he sees nature as a place of both physical and spiritual nourishment. In conclusion, Muir views nature as a place of beauty, exhilaration, and spiritual nourishment. He sees nature as a source of joy and purpose that can provide humans with a sense of fulfillment that cannot be found elsewhere.

Answer 2

John Muir views nature as a source of spiritual sustenance and a place of refuge from the cares of the mortal world. He finds himself invigorated and exhilarated by his time in nature, as demonstrated by his description of feeling "strong and exhilarated as if never more to feel any mortal care" after spending time by Calypso. Muir also sees nature as a provider, as evidenced by his ability to find bread and sustenance in the farmer settlers' clearings. Muir's view of nature is one of abundance and generosity, a place where he is free to wander and gather plants without constraint. Overall, his relationship with nature is one of deep respect and wonder, as he sees it as a manifestation of God's spiritual beauty.