Well of course Robinson Jeffers would be concerned with the whole relationship between man and his natural world in "Shine, Perishing Republic." We know the guy had a thing for nature and saw a lot of truth in the natural world that men often ignore in favor of important business deals and inflated egos. The fact is, though, we're part of nature, and the speaker sees no ifs, ands, or (human) butts about it. And when folks go around trying to deny this connection, they end up getting gobbled up by the very monster-empire they create. Rule of thumb for getting through life without getting eaten by a monster: accept change, know that nothing stays the same forever, and try your best to avoid lending a helping hand to corrupt empires, will ya?
Questions About Man and the Natural World
- What's the significance of the speaker including the metaphor of all things returning "home to the mother"?
- Do you agree with the speaker's ideas of nature's cycles always being relevant to man and his plans? Are the two always connected by the nature of growth and decay? Why or why not?
- How does the speaker make nature appear as a purer force than anything man can create? Will nature always be an escape from man's nonsense?
- Do you think nature will always outlast man, or do you think man has the potential to overpower nature one day? Does the "monster" have the power to consume even nature? Why or why not?
Chew on This
If we were to pick teams in "Shine, Perishing Republic," it would be wise to side with nature since she always seems to persevere, despite whatever plans Team Human may hatch.
Mother Earth may seem to be the more dominant force in the poem, but there's no telling just how powerful mankind's "monster" might be (Godzilla strong? King Kong level?) in destroying both man and nature at one fell swoop.