Question

(20 POINTS PLEASE HELP)Read both passages and answer the question.

Passage 1: Excerpt of John Muir's "Calypso Borealis"

[1] 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.

[2] The rarest and most beautiful of the flowering plants I discovered on this first grand excursion was Calypso borealis (the Hider of the North). I had been fording streams more and more difficult to cross and wading bogs and swamps that seemed more and more extensive and more difficult to force one's way through. Entering one of these great tamarac and arbor-vitae swamps one morning, holding a general though very crooked course by compass, struggling through tangled drooping branches and over and under broad heaps of fallen trees, I began to fear that I would not be able to reach dry ground before dark, and therefore would have to pass the night in the swamp and began, faint and hungry, to plan a nest of branches on one of the largest trees or windfalls like a monkey's nest, or eagle's, or Indian's in the flooded forests of the Orinoco described by Humboldt.

[3] But when the sun was getting low and everything seemed most bewildering and discouraging, I found beautiful Calypso on the mossy bank of a stream, growing not in the ground but on a bed of yellow mosses in which its small white bulb had found a soft nest and from which its one leaf and one flower sprung. The flower was white and made the impression of the utmost simple purity like a snowflower. No other bloom was near it, for the bog a short distance below the surface was still frozen, and the water was ice cold. It seemed the most spiritual of all the flower people I had ever met. I sat down beside it and fairly cried for joy…

[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.

Passage 2: William Wordsworth's "I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud"

[1]I wandered lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o'er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host, of golden daffodils;
[5]Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

Continuous as the stars that shine
And twinkle on the milky way,
They stretched in never-ending line
[10]Along the margin of a bay:
Ten thousand saw I at a glance,
Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.

The waves beside them danced; but they
Out-did the sparkling waves in glee:
[15]A poet could not but be gay,
In such a jocund company:
I gazed—and gazed—but little thought
What wealth the show to me had brought:

For oft, when on my couch I lie
[20]In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude;
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils.

Both passages use the word "lonely" in their first sentence. By the end of each text, however, the authors are no longer lonely. In a paragraph of 4-6 sentences, explain what changed their perspectives. What does each experience reveal about the power of nature? Use evidence from both texts to support your answer.

Answer 1

In both passages, the authors initially describe feelings of loneliness, but their encounters with nature transform their perspectives and alleviate their solitude. John Muir, in "Calypso Borealis," finds himself in a challenging swamp, struggling to navigate and fearing he might have to spend the night there. However, his discovery of the rare and exquisite Calypso borealis flower brings him immense joy and a sense of connection with the natural world. Muir describes the flower as the "utmost simple purity," and its presence amidst the frozen bog and ice-cold water uplifts his spirit. This encounter reveals the power of nature to inspire awe, provide solace, and evoke deep emotional responses.

Similarly, William Wordsworth, in "I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud," begins the poem by depicting himself as a cloud drifting alone. However, his encounter with a crowd of golden daffodils by the lake completely transforms his mood. The sight of the daffodils, fluttering and dancing in the breeze, fills him with delight and happiness. Wordsworth compares the daffodils to stars in the Milky Way, highlighting their vastness and infinite beauty. The daffodils' lively dance outshines the sparkling waves, and their presence creates a jocund atmosphere. The memory of this encounter continues to bring joy to the poet even when he is alone, filling his heart with pleasure. This experience underscores the transformative power of nature, its ability to elevate one's mood, and its lasting impact on the human psyche.

Both authors emphasize the profound connection between humans and nature. Muir finds solace and joy in the delicate beauty of the Calypso borealis, while Wordsworth discovers a sense of wonder and delight in the vibrant display of the daffodils. These encounters demonstrate that nature has the power to alleviate loneliness, evoke strong emotions, and inspire a renewed appreciation for the world around us. They reveal that immersing oneself in nature can transcend solitude and provide a profound sense of connection, reminding us of the inherent bond between humanity and the natural world.

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