MEANING OF NATURE-STUDY 21 



Build 071 in thy dreaming^ 



Nor thy fancies are vain; 

 The best of lifers seeming 



Are its castles in Spain I 



The good New England poets, did not they 

 know nature ? Have they not left us the very 

 essence and flavor of the fields and the woods and 

 the sky ? And yet they were not scientists, not 

 mere collectors of facts. So different are these 

 types of interpretation that we all unconsciously 

 do as I did in my last sentence — we set the poet 

 over against the scientist. 



Yet poetry is not mere sentiment. The poet 

 has first known the fact. His poetry is misleading 

 if his observations are wrong. Therefore, as I 

 have said, I should begin my nature-study with 

 facts ; for facts are tangible, but sentiments cannot 

 be seen. Whatever else we are, we must have the 

 desire to be definite and accurate. We begin on 

 the earth; later, we may drive our Pegasus to a 

 star. 



Do not misunderstand. I would not teach 

 nature-subjects in order that the poetic point of 

 view may be enforced. I plead only that the 

 poetic interpretation is allowable on occasion. 



How shall nature-study be taught ? By the 

 teacher, not by the book. The teacher will need 

 helps. There are books and leaflets that will help 

 him. These publications may be put in the hands 

 of pupils if it is always made plain that the reci- 

 tation is to be from things which the pupil has 

 seen, not from the book. There can be no text- 



