Starting as a three year-old on a dairy farm, a thousand-acre dairy farm, nature became my world. Even as a three year-old I could go out in the forest and, at seven, eight o'clock at night, dark, and I was totally at home in the fields, the woods, the rivers from the earliest age, that became my world. Lying in a damp, cool, freshly plowed field, just after a sunset and looking out into the heavens, that became my world.
Story Musgrave has been called the "space poet." He is both a poet and an astronaut. Like many poets he is inspired by the natural world both on earth and in outer space. His poetry celebrates the beauty and brilliance of nature. Think of other poets you know about who write about nature. Maybe you have been inspired to write a poem after an unforgettable experience in nature.
Nature poets often use the natural world to make powerful descriptive comparisons. They use similes to compare one thing to another in order to capture its beauty and its essence.
In your small group discuss your own inspirational experiences in nature. Work together to create poetic similes based on your experiences. Notice how the words "like" and "as" are used to connect two ideas. Use the examples below to get started. When you are finished, share the results with another group.
