The earth is a hybrid creature, neither cold like the moon nor scorching like the sun. It serves as the perfect medium where simple creatures like ourselves thrive. "One could not help watching [her]" (Woolf). I, for one, feel a great amount of pity for her, for she has to fight off a disease that people don't believe in. It is almost as if someone had cancer, but a doctor dismissed it because they didn't think that there was enough proof.
Nevertheless, she keeps on turning and turning for our ungrateful souls, creating more life for us just so that we can destroy it. The earth works morning and night simultaneously to create wonders full of trees, clouds, oceans, rivers, and cool rains, while turning and turning so that we may get a glimpse of sunshine and moonlight. "What remained for [her] but" to turn and turn? "That was all [she] could do, in spite of the size of the downs, the width of the sky, the far-off smoke of houses, and the romantic voice, now and then, of a steamer out at sea" (Woolf).
It might be difficult to believe that our "frail and diminutive" bodies are the reason for her agony, but it is what it is (Woolf). It's "marvelous as well as pathetic" (Woolf). That we could inhabit such a wondrous place and cause so much destruction, but be blind to the consequences and turn and turn, as the earth does, away from what we've caused. The trees are diminishing, the clouds are releasing acid instead of cool rains, the oceans and rivers are rising, while the earth keeps on turning and turning for us to keep on killing it.
Eventually, the earth with agitate itself one more time for us. But by then, there will be nothing else for us to destroy. The trees will be stumps. The oceans will be puddles. Icebergs will just be water. Summer and winter will no longer be opposites. She can only watch while we destroy her caverns, forests, lakes, and mountains; "nothing, I new had any chance against" humans (Woolf).
The struggle is almost over for her. We've almost succeeded in stripping the root of all life. We once marveled at the northern lights, the rocky mountains, geysers, hot springs, canyons, and all the life the she provided, but now we foster the death that the earth is suffering from.
"O yes, [she] seemed to say, [humans are] stronger than I am" (Woolf).
Nevertheless, she keeps on turning and turning for our ungrateful souls, creating more life for us just so that we can destroy it. The earth works morning and night simultaneously to create wonders full of trees, clouds, oceans, rivers, and cool rains, while turning and turning so that we may get a glimpse of sunshine and moonlight. "What remained for [her] but" to turn and turn? "That was all [she] could do, in spite of the size of the downs, the width of the sky, the far-off smoke of houses, and the romantic voice, now and then, of a steamer out at sea" (Woolf).
It might be difficult to believe that our "frail and diminutive" bodies are the reason for her agony, but it is what it is (Woolf). It's "marvelous as well as pathetic" (Woolf). That we could inhabit such a wondrous place and cause so much destruction, but be blind to the consequences and turn and turn, as the earth does, away from what we've caused. The trees are diminishing, the clouds are releasing acid instead of cool rains, the oceans and rivers are rising, while the earth keeps on turning and turning for us to keep on killing it.
Eventually, the earth with agitate itself one more time for us. But by then, there will be nothing else for us to destroy. The trees will be stumps. The oceans will be puddles. Icebergs will just be water. Summer and winter will no longer be opposites. She can only watch while we destroy her caverns, forests, lakes, and mountains; "nothing, I new had any chance against" humans (Woolf).
The struggle is almost over for her. We've almost succeeded in stripping the root of all life. We once marveled at the northern lights, the rocky mountains, geysers, hot springs, canyons, and all the life the she provided, but now we foster the death that the earth is suffering from.
"O yes, [she] seemed to say, [humans are] stronger than I am" (Woolf).
I really liked the environmental position you took on this post. I can see the leftist ideas prevailing inside of these words, and I agree that one day the earth will die and stop fighting despite our efforts to fight it. We really need to care more about it!!
ReplyDeletePreach sister! I love how you connected the piece to Virginia Woolf's piece to the relevant issue of conservation. You are absolutely correct; THE END IS NEAR.
ReplyDeleteI really like how you fused your writing style with Woolf's&& the fact that you created a metaphor about climate change being the "disease" that us humans forge against Mother Earth. This is such an important topic and I'm so glad you brought it to light; it blows my mind that some people don't believe in climate change or they choose to ignore it because it requires too much accountability and work!
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