Time, Nature, and Reflection

Time is constantly an issue in the world. Everybody wants to be young forever and stay in tune with society and technology. While people obsess over time, they often miss out on some of life’s greatest aspects: relationships with family, friends, God, and nature. However, it is with spare time, reflection, and loneliness that people often have realizations of self-discovery, or they are able to best understand where they stand in life, physically and spiritually.
In Louise Erdrich’s, Love Medicine, discoveries and realizations are apparent throughout the story, as it is clear that Native Americans are more reflective on the simplicities of life than the average teenager. Grandpa Kashpaw realizes that he is being called to a second childhood, and will pursue Lulu Lamartine, a woman who had been fond of him in his younger years. During this time, Lipsha Morrissey discovers that her Grandma Kashpaw is incredibly jealous of her husband’s pursuit of Lulu. Lipsha also sees that her touch will do nothing for Grandpa. By the end of the story, the one thing that remains clear is that, through all the time, through death, they were all in it together, and the bond of the family, the bond of love medicine, was a strong, powerful connection between the people and the earth.
E.E. Cummings is an incredibly abstract poet. But in deciphering his poem as “A leaf falls on loneliness,” it can send a message to all people and the relationship they have with nature. While the leaf is so small and insignificant, it brings up the possibility of using nature to find solace in loneliness. Nature is a widely used topic and setting for writing and reflecting on just about anything. It is the hope of many people, that when “a leaf falls on loneliness”, the loneliness subsides and nature is good company.
“This Is Just to Say” is not a very typical form of poetry. William Carlos Williams appears to be writing out a short note to someone, apologizing for eating the plums. This brings up another possibility of spare time: temptation. Williams speaks of giving into temptation by eating plums that he consciously knew someone else was probably saving for breakfast. Williams realizes that he can give into temptation.
The poems are very odd, and the story was interesting. All of them talk about time and reflection. Solitude is often used as the medium to revelation. Cummings, Williams, and Erdrich, all use abstract, but possibly profound ways to talk about discovery and time.