There was a deep silence, only scraped on its surfaces by the faint quiver of empty seed-plumes, and broken grass-blades trembling in small air-movements they could not feel. 'Not a bird!' said Sam mournfully. 'No, no birds,' said Gollum. 'Nice birds!' He licked his teeth. 'No birds here. There are snakeses, wormses, things in the pools. Lots of things, lots of nasty things. No birds,' he ended sadly. Sam looked at him with distaste.
Interpretation
This quote reflects the absence of life and the unease of desolation in a once vibrant place. It captures a sense of mourning for what is lost in nature.
In this passage from J. R. R. Tolkien, the deep silence and the description of forlorn elements of nature highlight a profound absence of life, symbolized by the lack of birds and the presence of unsettling creatures. Sam's mournfulness contrasts with Gollum's strange acceptance of this stark reality, evoking themes of loss, the harshness of nature, and a longing for the beauty that once existed. The imagery conveys a sense of bleakness and the quiet but significant impact that the environment has on emotions.
In practice
This quote can be used in a discussion about the impact of environmental changes on wildlife.
All the same, I should like it all plain and clear," said he obstinately, putting on his business manner (usually reserved for people who tried to borrow money off him), and doing his best to appear wise and prudent and professional and live up to Gandalf's recommendation. "Also I should like to know about risks, out-of-pocket expenses, time required and remuneration, and so forth"--by which he meant: "What am I going to get out of it ? and am I going to come back alive?
Go not to the Elves for counsel,_x000D_ for they will say both no and yes._x000D_ Elves seldom give unguarded advice,_x000D_ for advice is a dangerous gift,_x000D_ even from the wise to the wise,_x000D_ and all courses may run ill.
What did I tell you, Mr. Pippin?' said Sam, sheathing his sword. 'Wolves won't get him. That was an eye-opener, and no mistake! Nearly singed the hair off my head!
Under the Mountain dark and tall The King has come unto his hall! His foe is dead, the Worm of Dread, And ever so his foes shall fall. The sword is sharp, the spear is long, The arrow swift, the Gate is strong; The heart is bold that looks on gold; The dwarves no more shall suffer wrong. The dwarves of yore made mighty spells, While hammers fells like ringing bells In places deep, where dark things sleep, In hollow halls beneath the fells. -from The Hobbit (Dwarves Battle Song)
The chief purpose of life, for any of us, is to increase according to our capacity our knowledge of God by all means we have, and to be moved by it to praise and thanks.
Alive without breath, As cold as death; Never thirsty, ever drinking, All in mail never clinking.
Raindrops the size of bullets thundered on the castle windows for days on end; the lake rose, the flower beds turned into muddy streams, and Hagrid’s pumpkins swelled to the size of garden sheds.
He who marvels at the beauty of the world in summer will find equal cause for wonder and admiration in winter.
Should you shield the canyons from the windstorms you would never see the true beauty of their carvings.
Four snakes gliding up and down a hollow for no purpose that I could see - not to eat, not for love, but only gliding.
The tropical rain forests are a telling example. Once cut down, they rarely recover. Rainfall drops, deserts spread, the climate warms.
Nature makes nothing incomplete, and nothing in vain.
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