Comparing the Poetry of Gary Snyder and Ruth Stone Essay

Comparing the Poetry of Gary Snyder and Ruth Stone Gary Snyder is not only a poet, but a preacher of sorts. His poems carry powerful messages about getting back to your roots. His poems contain strong themes of anti-consumerism and spirituality. Facts is a short piece consisting of facts on consumerism in America. This piece warns of the dangers of over consumption and lack of moderation. In some cases, however, Snyder does appear far too extreme in his views, like in By Frazier Creek Falls where is says We could live on this Earth / Without clothes or tools. This theme of primitivism is a common theme in Snyders poetry. Many of his poems are about nature and the uncivilized world. the settings of his poems are†¦show more content†¦Stone is similar to Snyder in the sense that they both believe that the human race should not lose track of our place in the Earth. They are both telling us that we should not allow consumerism and technology sidetrack us from spirituality and family and nature. Stone uses her own personal experiences for the basis of much of her poetry. Plumbing is a poem about getting her toilet fixed! Another poem, Simplicity, is a poem that describes getting water in the winter when the pipes the lead into her house are frozen. On a literal level, both of these poems are about relatively trivial events in her life, but there are much deeper meanings concealed inside the poems. Snyders poems are also often centered around his own personal life experiences, which he also uses as a foundation to focus in on a message. The Bath is a narrative poem that describes a scene in which Snyder is bathing with his wife and children. He describes the acts of washing, and describes the area surrounding the tub. This poem shows how important the simple things in life can be. Its also a poem about purification, and about spending time with family members. I believe that Ruth Stone would appreciate this kind of though. After all, one of her collection of poems is titled Simplicity. Snyders poems offer solutions to the problem of having an overly complicated