Instant Access To 100,000+ Essays!

Once Only “The greatest thing a human soul ever does in this world is to see something and tell what it saw in a plain way. Hundreds of people can talk for one who can think, but thousands can think for one who can see.”- John Ruskin “Wow, that’s awesome” “Gee, that’s cool” These words often express ones amazement when looking at a cloudless night and seeing the heavenly bodies. Yet, while many of us are blessed to partake in such a sight, only a few are able to articulate what they see beyond these simple words. Gary Snyder, in his poem “Once Only” does just this. Readers of this poem merely have to close their eyes, open their imaginations and the image of a full moon shining over pristine water on a cloudless night comes into view. But this image becomes even more vivid in ones imagination when one has studied astronomy for the images provoked by even a simple knowledge of astronomy adds a whole new dimension to this picture. I say this from experience. Having read this poem upon first receiving the supplement, the image of a full moon above the water on a cloudless night came to my view. It was an image that could be used as a background for romance and adventure. But now, after two months of P