For a link to Robinson Jeffers' poem "Shine, Perishing Republic", go to http://www.americanpoems.com/poets/Robinson-Jeffers/3011
In Robinson Jeffers’ poem “Shine, Perishing Republic”, readers view Jeffers’ grim verdict upon America and its humanity—a molten mass of corruption, with its way of society, directions and tendencies twisted from the original “flower” to become the hideously monstrous “insufferable master”.
The theme of Robinson Jeffers’ poem remains true today. Though the “monster” threatening today’s American humanity may be less grimly expressed and not nearly so much heralds of doom, there is still a monster, and one that has not yet been defeated. Today this monster is America’s wastefulness and arrogance.
In the beginning we were the explorers rather than the destroyers. Now we are consuming enormous amounts of processed food mass-made for frequently overweight American citizens. The image of the farmer’s homemade, wholesome breakfast of perpetually growing heaps of pancakes is replaced by a Coke or a coffee.
We process food until the wholesomeness is replaced by a wrapper, and sell the food to clamoring crowds of America’s grown-up children, who have been corrupted by the ages. We do not bother to throw the wrapper into the plastic garbage bag crafted by another country, but we leave it on the ground for another to pick up.
Not only do we squander resources in our stubborn profligacy, we have squandered lives; the Iraq War was the spawn of—at least somewhat—our dependence on Middle Eastern oil. In many cases, we misuse the powers in technology we have discovered; cars have come to represent our needless destruction of the environment.
Our arrogance has also led us to our downfall. We refuse to negotiate with countries that do not bend to our will or ally with us; America is generally considered the most spoilt of nations. We persist in arguing for causes merely conjecture; we must sulk in the corner or whine on the stage if our desires are not fulfilled.
Though Jeffers’ view is stark, it is one that has lived on through the ages before us, and will no doubt live on to plague the generations after us on and on and on.
Dear Adora,
ReplyDeleteI am 42 years old. It is nice that you are working so hard to bring happiness to other people. I love to read myself and as a child, I used to hide in comfortable spots in various trees to read my books. I was very happy to have books from people who loved to write. Keep up the good work! :-)
Marcus