Rough Draft

Maggie Harry
4-21-09
Rough Draft
The environment has been a very controversial subject addressed through various perspectives. Two poems, “God’s Grandeur,” and “Front Lines,” both see this provocative subject through similar eyes. Both authors clearly state that the natural world is being destroyed by the existence of man. However, they vary slightly in the “God’s Grandeur” believes in natures ability to triumph despite human existence, and “Front Lines” believes that it is up to man to save the environment.
The demolition of the planet through the existence of man is an evident issue in the modern world as well as past centuries. In both “God’s Grandeur” and “Front Lines,” the author uses word choice to emphasize the destructive nature of man. Hopkins states that earth “wears man’s smudge and shares man’s smell.” His decision to utilize words such as “smudge” and “smell” leaves readers with a vivid image of the putrid landscape that now covers this planet. Lines such as these help emphasize the impact of humans on the environment and how the impact is not positive. In “Front Lines,” the author describes the “skinned-up bodies of still-live bushes.” Statements such as these make it clear that nature is not merely dying, it is being murdered by man. Both writers believe that the earth is at the mercy of mankind.
Although the authors agree on many levels, there is a vital difference between the two poems. “God’s Grandeur” ends with the idea that despite man’s attempt to destroy, nature (being God’s creation) is always going to survive. Hopkins believes that “nature is never spent.” He trusts that “God’s Ghost” is always going to be there to protect nature, therefore it will persevere through its own accord. On the contrary, the author of “Front Lines” believes that “we must draw our line.” Although he agrees that humans are the cause of the depleting landscape, he disagrees that the natural world will be able to survive on its own. He expresses strong belief that humans must stop their detrimental behavior on their own in order to preserve the environment.
These two slightly differing view points are enough to make the tone of these two poems vary greatly. “God’s Grandeur,” in retrospect, has a very motivating tone. It focuses more on the positive side of the controversy saying that regardless of the damage inflicted by humans, everything will turn out okay. “Front Lines” seems to take a far more pessimistic tone, stating that the landscape will not get better without the help of men. And, if they fail to do so, it will ultimately die at their hands.
Overall, these two poems agree on the importance of nature in this world. Although their opinions are slightly varying towards the end, the overall theme of these poems remains the same.