Wednesday, August 23, 2023

"Summer Holiday" by Robinson Jeffers

 

Summer Holiday 


When the sun shouts and people abound

One thinks there were the ages of stone and the age of

bronze

And the iron age; iron the unstable metal;

Steel made of iron, unstable as his mother; the tow-

ered-up cities

Will be stains of rust on mounds of plaster.

Roots will not pierce the heaps for a time, kind rains

will cure them,

Then nothing will remain of the iron age

And all these people but a thigh-bone or so, a poem

Stuck in the world's thought, splinters of glass

In the rubbish dumps, a concrete dam far off in the

mountain...

 


Enjoy the poem with beautiful music.


poem video👇

https://youtu.be/T839MuKvkIk





Who wrote the poem "Summer Holiday"?


Robinson Jeffers (January 10, 1887 – January 20, 1962)

Robinson Jeffers was an American poet, best known for his works that emphasize the beauty and power of nature, often set against the California coastline. Jeffers introduced a philosophy called "inhumanism," which prioritizes the magnificence of the natural world over human concerns. His literary legacy is marked by his distinctive pantheistic vision and deep ecological perspective, which have made him a foundational figure in environmental literature. 



"Summer Holiday" explanation


"Summer Holiday" by Robinson Jeffers explores the transient nature of human civilization and its ultimate return to nature. The poem contrasts the bustling activity of the present, symbolized by the sun's shout and the crowds, with the inevitable decay of human-made structures. The speaker references the ages of stone, bronze, and iron, highlighting the impermanence of even the most durable materials. The imagery of rusted cities and mounds of plaster underscores the idea that nature will eventually reclaim what humans have built. The poem concludes with a somber reflection on humanity's fleeting legacy: a few remnants, a poem, and distant memories in the vast timeline of the world.



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