Stolen Away on 33rd and 5th

I found Annie Dillard’s, “Heaven and Earth in Jest,� very interesting, though at times I found it difficult to understand. Even so, I still wanted to read on because I thought the way she went into so much detail about nature was very compelling. I loved how she used so much imagery to paint a really clear picture of her surroundings-nature. I found it interesting how she described the creek that she lived by as, “the stream of light pouring down.� I took light to possibly mean Truth. She could have meant that being around nature-the woods, the creek-gave her insight to what was really true, or real, in the world. Later on she tells how she is always brought to the water because, “It carries it own lights.� She also says that water is, “the mystery of the continuous creation and all that providence implies.� The creek could also be described as the life cycle and how it is constantly moving and always fresh. I really thought this was beautiful how she described the creek.
I think Annie Dillard is trying to tell us, mankind, that we need to wake up from our sleepwalking and pay closer attention to nature than we presently do. This is seen in the examples she gives us. In the example of the mockingbird, grace and beauty can be seen in how the bird so effortlessly falls thirty-two feet from the ground and at the last second spreads his tail to avoid hitting the ground. The second example she gives is of the sharks. This image of hundreds of sharks in a feeding frenzy is a very powerful one. Dillard is telling us that nature is trying to be noticed and appreciated more than it is right now. To me, these images show just how wondrous nature can be. I found it appropriate when Dillard says, “The least we can do is try to be there.� I think we need to take more time to observe nature and notice all the beauty, power and grace that it offers us. Through taking a closer look at nature in our surroundings, a better sense of who we are and what our role here on Earth is will naturally follow.

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http://hubcap.clemson.edu/~sparks/dillard/bio.htm--> A Biography of Annie Dillard. She has an interesting life story....Check it out! :)