"And the serpent too shall die, Die shall the treacherous poison-plant, and far and wide Assyrian spices spring." (66)
When I first read this section, I was a little upset for the snakes. Truth be told, I'm actually rather uncomfortable around them in the wild but it seems that God created every living create and hence should love them equally. In this paradise that Virgil describes, all the snakes are killed. Doesn't that seems rather extreme when not all serpents kill man or even have the ability to do so? And when you think about it, according to the bible the snake only betrayed man. And in some cases it was the devil dressed as a snake. So can you blame a whole species for a single pretense that might not have been their fault? And even then, the actions of the serpent only hurt mankind so why must they be destroyed in a paradise built for everyone to enjoy. The large predators seem able to live in harmony with the lambs so why not the slithering beasts as well?
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| Snakes like these are even kept by some as pets. http://www.popularpets.net/snakes/care-sheets/rough-green-snake.php |
The next bit is a little less related to reptiles except that I realized a song connection.
"The mystery is never the answer. What's really interesting is the mystery. If you seek the mystery instead of the answer, you'll always be seeking." (83)
When I was reading this wonderful page of quotes, this one caught my attention in particular because of a song by Jimmy Buffet. He sings "answers are the easy part, questions raise the doubt" on a track entitled "Off to see the lizard." Basically the whole premise of the piece is about children searching for an answer about the world around them. When I really think about it, enjoying the uncertainty of life makes it more special. Why else would people enjoy the feeling of falling in love or the anticipation before a trip. It makes life feel so much more alive. And while I always have specific questions I want answered, sometimes I'm happy to just not know.
Now, on to the more general animal section.
"Nearly all hermits and holy men who live apart from the big cities have the reputation of being able to work miracles with the wild things, but all the miracle lies in keeping still, in never making a hasty movement, and, for a long time, at least, in never looking directly at a visitor." (89)
I was actually thinking this exact same thought the other day. I guess it's probably because I grew up in a small town. I only have 5 acres but that's plenty of space to escape from the sounds of traffic and the bustle of life. In my backyard, I built a small tree house and used to go out there in the mornings to observe the sunrise. It was a perfect perch which it seems the local birds knew about before I did. At first, my mornings were rather silent but slowly I started getting ariel visitors on the branches. I sadly couldn't keep up the routine for long because of changing schedules but I wonder if I would have gotten even more avian friends. If I were to hazard a guess, I'd have to say most definitely.
"In a zoo, if an animal is not in its normal place in its regular posture at the usual hour, it means something." (98)
Initially, I had trouble believing that animals can be particularly happy in a zoo. I guess I've heard too many protests on tv or the like. But as I thought about it, I realized that animals are as much "creatures of habit" as we are. Once they develop a routine, it's very hard to break. I know my dogs get antsy if not let outside at certain times at night or if they aren't fed with 10 minutes of the usual time. So much emphasis these days is put on spontaneity and breaking from the boring routine, but it is that routine which keeps us balanced. I'm not saying we should stick strictly to our everyday schedules. I simply mean that we need the regularity to have something to provide contrast with when we do break from it.
Lastly, a word on God.
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| This ring nebula is often called the Eye of God. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/space/4805889/Eye-of-God-pictured-in-space.html |
"We are all born like Catholics, aren't we- in limbo, without religion, until some figure introduces us to God?" (101)
I both want to agree and disagree with this statement which could make for some confusing writing. I guess my mixed mind stems from the difference between God and religion. I can definitely agree that religion is not some innate quality we are born with. It takes a couple weeks of sunday school and a few traditional holidays for most little kids to catch on to the idea of religion. But at the sane time, I think we all naturally share an idea of something great and beyond ourselves. For christians, it's God. For polytheistic cultures, it's gods. And even for atheists, there's some higher law, though not necessarily an omnipotent being. So while definitions vary, I think that what makes life so wonderful in a sense of mystery always above ad beyond our comprehension.
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