Once I understood each word the caterpillar said,
Once I smiled in secret at the gossip of the starlings,
And shared a conversation with the housefly
in my bed.
Once I heard and answered all the questions
of the crickets,
And joined the crying of each falling dying
flake of snow,
Once I spoke the language of the flowers. . . .
How did it go?
How did it go?
There are two ways to view this poem
and people seem to land in one category or the other. The first interpretation
is of a child and how that child was connected to nature through fantasy. The
child makes up stories in their head and communicates with everything and finds
new experiences exciting. Those children who are looking to learn from their
environment are bright and pay attention to the little things people often skip
over.
The other way to interpret the poem
is through the author’s connection to nature. The author indicates he was once
connected to nature and now lost that language. He no longer pays attention to
the world around him and focused on his busy life. There is a longing to go
back to nature and find beauty in the little things. It appears that he is an
advocate for simplicity in life.
Either interpretation work equally
as well. It should not be forgotten that the author is a poet and may have been
creative as a child and a seeker of simplicity later in his life. Only a poet,
writer and artist would find a rusted utensil or old truck in a field
interesting. They see the world fundamentally different than those focused on
their daily lives. They are the dreamers and nature fits well with this kind.
