Nature as a Possible Catalyst for Human Connection in "Mametz Wood" and "Father" Anonymous 11th Grade

Throughout the collection Skirrid Hill (2005) by Owen Sheers, nature is presented as a significant factor to both the development of personal and cultural identity and to human relationships. In "Mametz Wood" and "Father", the speaker's attachment to the earth is apparent. However, moving beyond description of the natural world alone, Sheers calls attention to the way in which nature has played a part in these speakers' lives by exploring the impact of nature on human beings at large.

In "Mametz Wood", nature is presented as a powerful force, although affected by humans and their creation, both are inextricably linked. Through describing the unearthed fragments of the soldiers as: "A chit of bone, the china plate of a shoulder blade," and the "broken bird's egg of a skull," Sheers contrasts the birth of new life and the fragility of the human body with the impact of their violent history. The harsh, plosive monosyllabic sounds bite like bullets, evoking a strong visual image within the reader's mind of the battle that took place. The alliteration of the 'ch' sound could also allude to the farmer's plough, digging up the remains of the "wasted youth [...] as they tended the land back into itself." This cyclical notion highlights...