“I have wasted my life”

The aged cliché, “you don’t know what you have until it’s gone,” is still as prominent as ever. Alicia Shoenberger in her famous poem titled, “Lying in a Hammock at William Duffy’s Farm in Pine Island, Minnesota, expresses how the most beautiful and inspiring things may be right there in front of you. Far too often these minuscule works of genius are overlooked everyday. The character concludes this poem by saying, “I have wasted my life” (Shoenberger, line 13). This quote suggests that up until that moment he may have never truly embraced all forms of nature as well as all forms of life.

This poem is also very philosophically inspiring. The author uses unique metaphors to give vivid descriptions that allow the poem to spring to life. “In a field of sunlight between two pines, the droppings of last years horses…” (Shoenberger, lines 8-9). This metaphor shows the connection that all living things in nature have with each other. The droppings from the horses provide nutrient rich soil for the thriving pine trees. Due to the realization that life is so intricately complex and beautiful one may find it easy to become confused about his/her own purpose in life.