UKC

'An Ode' - Four Small Men

© robert bratton
mockerkin

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photo
Four small men...
© robert bratton
This poem is about a Cumbrian crag, some say Falcon crag, looking down on a man passing by and seeing him as transient, but the crag will be there forever.

The photo "Four Small Men" by Robert Bratton in the UKC photo gallery also shows our insignificance compared to the hills.

Regards,

D.Musgrave

Here is the poem


Now downward as I bend my eye,

What is that atom that I espy,

That speck in Nature's plan?

Great Heaven ! is that a Man ?

And hath that little wretch its cares,

Its freaks, its follies and its airs;

And do I hear the insect say,

"My lakes, my mountains, my domain?"

O weak, contemptible and vain,

The tenant of a day.


Richard Cumberland (1732 - 1811)
Extract from 'An Ode'

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Comments

Caralynh
17 Jan, 2008
Nice :) captainH has a similar one in his gallery that I love - shows just how small we are, compared to the mountains.
Caralynh
17 Jan, 2008
chris wyatt
19 Jan, 2008
Enjoyed this
Mike Peacock
20 Jan, 2008
Great photo, great words. Cheers.
The Crow
20 Jan, 2008
Hmm, given our exploitation of mineral resources the crag is probably only there because it is of no industrial/economic use to us. We do move mountains when we wish. I wonder what the slate crags in Llanberis "thought" before...? Should the crag be unconcerned as it watches other transient atoms destroyed by a plague of humanity? Does it care if the ecosystem it supports is destroyed? Are we supposed to emulate the attitude of the crag as climbers and destroy the environment around it carelessly since the crag will remain? Why not chip the hell out of it, most of the crag will survive? Is this just a naieve piece of feel-good poetry of little value today? Does Mick cry over greeting card rhyme?
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