2018 Essay Contest Winner

Entry by Udbhav Akolkar

Earth as Inspiration

“Fire belched from its riven summit. The skies burst into thunder seared with lightning….” what would “Lord of the Rings” be without the description of magnificent mountains, raging rivers, dark forests and green meadows. All through ages, the art of writing has been inspired by Earth and its beauty, power and destructive forces.

The tales of endeavors through great peril and difficulty often show mountains as a major obstacle to overcome. The mountain ranges seem to loom over the rest of the land, foreshadowing the doom. It also is an opportunity to demonstrate the bravado of their characters.

Dry leaves, grey skies and dead trees, when touch the heart of authors such as Agatha Christie or Edgar Allen Poe, stories filled with mystery and horror are created. The opening line of Poe’s story “The Fall of the House of Usher”, “During the whole of a dull, dark, and soundless day in autumn of the year when the cloud hung oppressively low in the heavens”, sends chills down the reader’s spine. At the same time “Anne of Green Gables” resonates happiness and joy, by virtue of the trees and blooming flowers.

Nature is often used to enhance a character’s feelings. The desolate landscapes invoke feelings of thrill and suspense; happiness is often associated with warm sunshine and meadows, and sorrow is represented by rain and storms in numerous stories. Therefore, nature is also our key to unlock a character’s emotion.

Elements of earth are an integral part of the art of writing. They are used to set a scene, to take the reader on a journey with the author, to stir the innermost emotions and ultimately to hone the power of observation about the world that surrounds us and its connection with the sentiments inside.