I had read and loved Walt Whitman's "Leaves of Grass" novel, so I knew a little about him before reading his story and was familiar with his naturalistic style of writing. In his introduction to "Specimen Days and Collect," it talks about "Leaves of Grass" as being groundbreaking and influenced John Burroughs,. I learned he tried to capture the "varieties of human experience, sensations, and to show his alertness to the weather and the life of the sky and fields" in his writings. Like Walt Whitman's introduction, John Burroughs's introduction to "In Mammoth Cave" tells us he was friends with Walt Whitman and even wrote a book about him, even taking trips to "bird watch" and "flower viewing walks" together since they both loved nature. The introduction also compares him to John Muir, another writer we have read, saying both were the most "popular and successful American nature writers" of the time period, but each of them had "different approaches to nature," such as migration versus the observation of the same place over time. Like Clarence King, Burroughs thought Charles Darwin's theories were a "liberating vision" and used his theories in his own approach to nature. His basic philosophy of his nature research is "Knowledge is only half the task. The other half is love," which shows he had a passionate interest for nature outside of school books. Clarence King's introduction to "Mountaineer in the Sierra Nevada" compares King to Muir, Mark Twain, and Bret Harte. telling us he was "daring" climber like John Muir, who "fills narrative with 'local color'" of the locals. He views the Sierra as a "chance to assert the dominance of his sex, race, and cast and an escape from the restrictions of such identity." King was also friends with John Hay and Henry Adams.
Each of these stories reflect different parts of the world, such as mountains, or underground as well as our own backyards where people should take a minute and enjoy a new experience. I think all of the authors' messages are to take the time to take an interest in simplicity of life and observe what is going on around us. Walt Whitman's "Specimen Days and Collect" has him jotting down a few notes when he feels like nature is appearing in different but beautiful forms and questions why and how that particular event is happing, as if it was the first time he ever noticed a bumblebee or an apple. He studied their details, making them seem significant creations. John Burroughs's "In Mammoth Cave" reminded me of my own experiences, visiting Minnetonka Cave in Idaho. I went there with a church group when I was thirteen years old during a summer camping trip. Like Burroughs, our group also had to walk back to the entrance with no lamps on, only holding on to railings to move back up the stairs. Before we headed back, we just stood there, singing, as they played religious hymns on a battery operated stereo for us when we were in complete darkness. It was an incredible experience, which I really appreciated having even though I thought it was going to be boring at first. I could relate to Clarence King's "Mountaineer in the Sierra Nevada," because I have been hiking or I have taken narrow mountain roads by car to see mountains and extinct volcanoes, to be able to see views from the top you can't see from the valley, such as a clouds, birds, sunrise, sunset, or the water surrounding the land. Mountain climbing is a peaceful feeling, which makes me appreciate earth more.
Each of these three authors have amazing descriptions of the events they are experiencing through their writing and were able to express their feelings and the details of what surrounded them through creative ways. In Walt Whitman's "Specimen Days and Collect," Whitman describes his visits to the Long Island shore, as a child, feeling he "must one day write a book expressing this mystic liquid theme" as an inspirational experience. He then advises young writers to not take up writing about the ocean unless they can capture its beauty and power perfectly through their words, calling it a "job too big." I feel like every animal, mineral, or vegetable needs to be represented accurately as well. John Burrough's "In Mammoth Cave" seems to marvel at how the creation of the cave came to be, saying "Every feature of the cave attests the greater volume and activity of the forces which carved it, in the earlier geologic ages," concluding how all the scientific factors came together to create a beautiful moment in time and it was a miracle. I like his description of the cave's clock, "caused by a single large drop of water falling every second into a little pool," which is a pretty melodic pattern of time and space for a dark cave. He says the silence of the cave, "makes him feel as if he were face to face with primordial nothingness," which could probably be the most peaceful feeling or the most scariest experience someone could have. In Clarence King's "Mountaineer in the Sierra Nevada," King tells us he sees a "tranquility, abundance, the slow, beautiful unfolding of plant life, dark shadowed spots to rest our tired eyes upon," when looking down at the valley from his hiking destination. In that one passage, he describes every thought and feeling he is having.
Walt Whitman's "Specimen Days and Collect" is several journal entries where he is observing nature from a specific place, such as the White House, a garden near a creek, riding in a wagon to get Cedar Apples, or sitting under his own oak tree. He observes plants, animals, and the sun, humanizing them as the violets having "blue eyes," the concert of birds, and the sun's "journey." In John Burroughs's "In Mammoth Cave," he recaps his experiences visiting Mammoth Cave. He tells us of the blind people who can "feel" the beauty of the cave, just by hearing their echoes, and using their other senses, when they have no light. He talks of one woman who was frightened and passed out after seeing "Giant's Coffin," because women are "timid, highly imaginative people." He tells us the "prettiest thing they have to show you is the Star Chamber," where it feels like he is outside looking at a starry sky. Burroughs tells us his favorite part of the cave is the entrance, because it is the link to the underground and the above ground world, which he lives in. He says, "I never grew tired of sitting or standing here by this entrance and gazing into it." Burroughs mentions the cold air, that passes through the cave when two people "came in contact," showing us the effect our species has on nature. In Clarence King's "Mountaineer in the Sierra Nevada," He tells us he has gained patience while climbing the Sierras multiple times, because "they have a structure and a physical character which are individual and unique." He tells us how he believes the mountains were formed and what changes occurred during the Paleozoic, Azoic, Jurassic, and Tertiary periods. He also talks about how he can see a new viewpoint, when he climbs to the top and turns around in each direction.
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