MOTHER NATURE CRY
I think I just heard Mother Nature
cry
Or was it one more broken, falling
tree?
You’d think we’d learn as time goes
speeding by
They tell us there’s big hole in the
sky
We won’t believe in something we
can’t see
I think I just heard Mother Nature
cry
Coal-fired chimneys reaching up so
high
Even though the solar power’s free
You’d think we’d team as time goes
speeding by,
We develop rocket ships that fly,
But still can’t stop pollution of
the sea,
I think I just heard Mother Nature
cry
Headlines: one more species set to
die
Keep it quiet…use diplomacy
You’d think we’d learn as time goes
speeding by
Worry on the future? Pass it by!
How can preservation start with me?
I think I just heard Mother Nature
cry
You’d think we’d learn as time goes
speeding by
About the poet
Graeme King was born in Melbourne,
Australia. He started poetry at the age of 10. He was an outstanding student.
He attended Ivanhoe grammar school on a full scholarship. The scholarship was
awarded after knowing his writing work at primary level.
He also wrote full-length musical
comedy. He worked at Papua New Guinea for six years. He also visited USA, Asia
and Indonesia. Now he’s living in outback Queensland. He has been writing
constantly. His notable publications are:
- Mood swings
- Across the long bridge
- The blind man’s rainbow
- Rhyme and reason
Theme
Man has heartless and indifferent
attitude of man towards nature and environment
CENTRAL IDEA
Humans should think and work on the
problem of global warming and environmental destruction that is caused by their
apathetic attitude.
Summary
The poet “Graeme King”
talks about the unkind behavior of man towards environment and nature. The poem
is symbolic where nature is crying just like a mother on the destruction of
environment due to human activities. Man’s cutting of trees has created hole in
the ozone layer but he doesn’t believe in this. The man uses coal as a fuel
even when solar energy is free and safe. Advanced countries send rockets to the
moon and other planets but can’t stop pollution at sea. He also discusses the
humans’ indifferent behavior about the extinction of animals. Man remains quiet
and does nothing even after hearing the news about extinction of an animal. At
the end, poet describes, how man absolve himself of responsibility. A man
thinks: why should I worry about the future of the world because I will not be
here at that time. He thinks that he’ll learn as the time passes but it’ll be
of no use then.
Rhyming scheme
There are five tercet( a
set or group of three lines of verse rhyming together or connected by rhyme
with an adjacent triplet.) and one quatrain(four line stanza).
Nature:
Symbolic: Nature is crying like a mother.
Question
Answers
Q. what does this poem show about the attitude of man in general
regarding nature and environment?
Ans. Humans are damaging the environment but not ready to take
responsibility.
Explanation, Paraphrasing: Tercet (Stanza) 1
The poet here draws the attention towards cutting of trees. Poet
is able to feel and listen the crying of nature whenever any tree is cut down.
Trees clean, and protect the nature and Mother Nature is crying when trees fall
down. Humans show careless attitude on cutting of trees. Poet says that human
will understand as the time passes or they’ll know the importance of trees.
Explanation Stanza 2
The poet points towards the scientific evidence of hole in the ozone
layer of earth that is protecting us from the sun’s ultraviolet rays. Poet is
disappointed that even now human don’t believe in it as they cannot see the
hole with their eyes. They continue to destroy the nature and making the Mother
Nature cry.
Explanation of Stanza 3
The poet points out towards coal chimneys that are producing
carbon dioxide on burning. This is polluting the air. These chimneys could be
used with solar energy that is free but we don’t care for it. Poet again says
that human will learn the consequences of his actions to destroy the land as
the time will pass. They think they would handle it but it’ll not possible
then.
Explanation of Stanza 4
The poet talks about the development of human in the field of
science that it has made the rocket ships that take him to space. Advanced
countries are sending rockets to the moon and other planets but they’re unable
to stop the sea pollution. They should spend and work on the safety of
environment more than of making rocket ships. They think that they would learn
with time but it’ll be of no use then.
Explanation of Stanza 5
The poet describes the indifferent attitude of humans when they
listen at the headlines about the extinction of animals but don’t care of it. Man
prefers to keep quiet on this issue and doesn’t talk about the reasons behind
the extinction of animals as somewhere he’s responsible of it. We don’t care of
environmental problems around us. We think that we would learn with time but
it’ll be of no use then.
Explanation of Stanza 6
At last, poet enforces us to care about the nature. The quatrain
talks about the mindset of general public who thinks that why would we care for
environment when we’ll pass by, we’ll not be a part of future. He doesn’t take
the responsibility. His behavior is careless towards maintaining and protection
of nature that why Mother Nature cry. Humans think they would learn with time
but it’ll be of no use for them.
