To Colebrooke Dale Nature is the home of all living things; it gives us home, food and other resources necessary for survival. Always remaining true to its image, some people may find the humble beauty of nature as a source of inspiration. However, living in the era of industrialization, people have isolated themselves from nature and senselessly harm the environment. Illustrating a peaceful world ruined by the “beasts” of industrialization, Anna Sward describes how the destruction disturbs not only nature but also the living beings within that environment. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original EssayWhen nature is in its pristine state, the scene is simply calm and peaceful. Seward begins the poem in a quiet tone describing how the setting is embraced by nature. The place is between “woods and valleys” and “rocks and streams” (2), flowing so aesthetically as to be “formed for the train that haunts poetic dreams” (3). In other words, Seward claims that the beauty of nature helps initiate his train of poetic thoughts. The phrase “poetic dream” suggests how ideal and meaningful the setting is to her as she finds the place so perfect to the point that it seems like a dream to her. There are also the Naiads and the Nymphs, which are the elegant girls who live inside the forest. The existence of these harmless nymphs further contributes to the tranquility and purity of the place since Naiads often live in fresh waters. The nature portrayed by these images appears to be enlightening and vivid, making it a perfect source of inspiration. However, the delicate scene is suddenly turned upside down with a frantic and destructive tone. The peace is suddenly interrupted by the noise of “the laborious Barge and the ever-changing Cyclops' brown forge” (4-5). Paying close attention to terms such as “toiling”, “barge”, “swart” and “forge”, the monster seems to represent the working class men of industrialization. The noise comes from the screeching sound made by the struggling boat and the hard-working, dark-skinned workers making some sort of metal product. As the noise spreads across the valley, the sky soon turns dark red as fire is set on the hills, producing “sulphurous black smoke” (9). The image of the workers and the sky full of black smoke represents the industrial revolution. Seward describes the pollution resulting from industrialization in a morbid tone as he describes how the smoke “spreads their veils like a funeral crape” (9-10). Its morbid tone indicates how pollution puts an end to the beauty and tranquility of the environment. The environment is quickly overrun by workers and factories, leaving no trace of the natural environment that once existed in that environment. In the last lines, Seward resents industrialization for devastating nature. He uses terms such as “pollute” and “stain” (11-12) to indicate how the environment is now polluted and dirty. Furthermore, it not only touches on environmental pollution, but also acknowledges noise pollution by citing the “rude shouting” (13) of the workers. Industrialization quickly replaced serenity, affecting not only the environment but those who fostered serenity. The noise of the city “smothers the wild song of the forest” (14) which indicates how the sound of nature has been invaded by the sound of industrialization. The last lines especially highlight the destruction of nature in an invasive way, showing Seward's grief over the loss of nature. Seward then makes his final observation by saying that the destruction of the environment “breaks the spell of..
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