Ng Yu Hang - 2E'06

The crash of the rushing waterfall undulated like emotion through my consciousness.

I peer into the myriad of plummeting tears, and watch
as each teardrop ripples across the surface of water
like a drop of paint’s descent into a featureless lake.
like a rhapsody of colours’ reanimation of a monochrome picture.

And I suppressed the desire to scream in hope.
And I suppressed the impulse to scream in despair.
And I suppressed the compulsion to scream my final goodbye.

And oh, as I finally opened my mouth to scream,
I found myself at the bottom of a lake,
a gulp of water forcing its way through my gaping mouth.
My consciousness wavers, and I drown,
my crypt the forlorn depths of a forgotten ocean.

The tinkle of the rushing waterfall crooned a sorrowful serenade of loss for a friendship long forgotten.

I have forsaken the world,
and now am one with it.
I am alone,
and now am in the best of company.

Inspiration

The tranquility of the cavern behind the waterfall despite the crash of the water, amplified by the solitude of the place and the mesmerizing patter of the water droplets created a beautiful backdrop in which one feels alone; not lonesome, but alone and content. Poems learned in class such as Woodsworth’s The World Is Too Much With Us speaks of how the modernization has taken away the beauty of nature. Thus, to rediscover nature in its full splendor, one must relinquish the material world; a concept which has been implemented into the poem. The usage of present tense in the last two verses of the third stanza is on purpose, so as to portray a more first person view than that of a recount.

Claudia Tay 2B/06

Firstly, this image is of three wooden chickens on the soil amongst the plants. One looks like it is going to peck the ground, the second one is standing upright and the last one is sitting as if it’s sitting on a nest. There is also a lamp that faces the tree and the ceiling of the greenhouse in the background can be seen.

This picture shows the current situation of the world. That one day, with even more advancement of technology, we would have to replace what nature we once had with fake figurines in various actions the live ones used to do. Also that one day man would take over the whole world including the sky as can be seen by the greenhouse in the back ground. However there is a contrast that the lamp that faces the tree shows more emphasis on the tree as that lamp would illuminate the tree in the dark. Perhaps this would mean that in the darkest times, nature would triumph.

The message in this picture is that maybe one day we would have to recreate nature due to us destroying it but it would end up with nature winning the battle against man with humans destroying themselves in the process.

The next photo is of a lake in middle of the picture surrounded by man-made fences, the sidewalk and a building which is then surrounded by greenery.

This photo shows that nature is being surrounded by man yet man is also surrounded by nature in the end. The significance is the ratio of nature to the ratio of man or in this case, man-made structures. It shows the struggles of man trying to conquer nature as can be seen by the structures in the trees. In fact, there is a sense of claustrophobic feeling as the trees seem to engulf the few man-made features yet it does not seem menacing as the sun shines into this enclosure. This symbolises that nature would not harm man.

Interestingly enough, green seems to dominate this photos, green representing nature hence nature’s power against man. What the photo is trying to say is that man can try to control nature but in the end, it will be nature that controls man.

The last photo is of plants in an enclosure with a fence separating the visitors from these plants. If you look closely, you can spot the plants have little tags on them.

This photo shows the apparent way man is trying to domesticate nature. Firstly, little tags can be seen on the plants. This symbolises man trying to control nature- as if giving a tag would give a sense of belonging to man. The next obvious sign of man’s dominance would be that these plants are kept in a greenhouse, not outdoors in nature, where it truly belongs. Lastly there is a fence separating the people from the plants. It is like keeping a dog in a cage and not letting it out as though separating the plants would help tame them.

This photo shows the apparent way man is treating nature and how man is trying to control nature by using technology to cage up nature which defies the basic principle of nature which is to be free instead of being in an enclosure separated from everyone.

Done by: Claudia Tay 2B/06

Glen Ko 2F06

Prologue
I was inspired by this little tree, all alone by itself without fellow saplings around it. Only grown mature trees were around. I knew soon enough it would be just like the others, and would not fall to just a light trod. The fertilizer around it would aid it in its quest for growth and beauty for all to behold in the botanical gardens. This inspiration gave me the idea to compose this limerick.

Little Tree

Once there was a little tree
Who sat under the sun.
He wished someday that he could be
A really huge one

He looked to his right and asked his brother,
“How did you grow so tall?”
His brother pointed to the fertilizer;
“Make sure you suck it all”

When the workers came out that night
And evenly spread out peat.
Little tree erected to full height
To see what he could eat.

“Dubious dung, it stings my tongue!”
Said little tree as he burped
“Calm down, o little one,
you don’t want to stay a squirt!”

Little tree little tree,
Didn’t stay little for long.
He ate and ate obediently
And proved the humans wrong.

“Cant control me as you want!”
And the children were afraid,
For if they dared to poke him even once,
His fruits would strike their heads.


Glen Ko
2F06

Roots and fences

The image potrays the image of the roots of the tree pushing against a man-made fence. The tree represents Nature while the fence represents Man. The roots of the tree pushing against the man-made fence shows that Man fails to obstruct Nature and how Nature can overpower Man’s artificial constructions. The image also shows how Man is vulnerable to the destruction caused by Nature and how Man in fact is at its mercy. The roots of the tree can be seen breaking some parts of the fences. This shows that there is a dark side to Nature and Nature can cause much destruction to Man. The color composition of the image involves dark colors, with brown especially prominent and the lighting in the image is not very bright. This again represents the dark side of Nature. The image shows that Nature has a big role in urban society today. This can be seen by the large roots of the trees. Nature is feared in urban society today due to the many natural disasters that occur in the world today which is represented by the roots breaking the fence.

Warda 2C/06

The image shows a tree which is being stabilized by some strings probably because the tree is unable to stand on its own. The tree represents Nature and the sticks which support the strings represent Man. The strings supporting the tree show the power that Man has over Nature, how Nature sometimes needs Man’s support to stay alive. This shows that Man’s actions can have a positive effect on Nature, if his actions are thoughtful and look to the best interests of Nature. For example, when Man sets up nature reserves and botanical gardens in its urban areas, it provides safe habitats for birds, insects, and other animals, as well as many trees. The image says that nature still has an important place in urban society today, as Man still makes an effort to conserve nature as stated by the examples mentioned above. In urban society today, there are instances where nature is at the mercy of Man, Man’s actions affect the condition of Nature be it in a positive or negative way.

Warda 2C/06

Wardatun Nisaa 2C/06

The image depicts the image of an old tree which is surrounded by a fence. This image has much significance. Firstly, the old tree shows that nature has been on Earth for a very long time, in fact, even before Man existed. The fence shows the artificial constructions of Man which obstruct nature and tries to overpower her. Thus, the artificially-constructed fence surrounding the old tree show the power Man has to obstruct and control Nature. The fact that the fence looks new while the tree looks really old shows that even though Nature has been around for a much longer time than Man, Man has learned to exert his control over some parts of Nature. This is the basis for how Man forms settlements by taming nature to his advantage, such as in agriculture and rearing livestock.

If we were to observe the color composition and lighting of the image, the upper half of the image is bright while the bottom half is darker. The fence is the darkest object in the image. This can be interpreted as Man being the cause of Nature’s unhappiness. He brings out the darker side of Nature and causes conflict between Man and Nature. For example, many natural disasters that occur in the world today are a result of Man’s conflict with nature. One example is greenhouse gases and global warming. The image shows that while Nature does in fact play a big role in urban society today which can be seen by the size of the tree as compared to the fence, Man still regards himself as more important than Nature which can be seen as the fence is in front of the tree. Man puts his needs first before considering the effects that his actions have on Nature.

Warda 2C/06

To survive

Life, the essence of everything
The resistance of the temptation
Of a life without expectations

Oh, how we work so hard
To live
To stand out from the rest
This struggle of survival
In a surrounding so different from what we want

But alas!
So obvious to the human eye

All you have worked so hard for
Stands out
When every other thing dies
Only you remain standing.

Write up:

The poem talks about the struggle to survive, and prevailing in the end from our hard work. Not only this is found in the modern world, it can be found in nature where on the strongest will survive.

Chue Weixin 2F 06

This image shows a stoned pavement that is surrounded by greenery on both sides of the pavement. The path seems to lead further into the picture. However, the bright sunshine implies that the path is not a moribund path but a path of light. The path of light represents the good relationship that they will experience.

This image shows that nature and man can co-exist even though there are critics that state that man is overpowering nature as man has the aid of technology to do so and one example of man overpowering nature is deforestation, but in this picture, it shows man and nature can exist with each other and the sunshine represents that they are getting along very well. The path that seems endless implies that this relationship will go on forever and the long relationship is a good one as sun shines on the path.





















The background of this picture is bamboo stem that is erected straight from the ground and the wooden beach is placed in front of the bamboos. The bamboo leaves are hanging over the beach, shading the beach from the sun.

The height of the bamboo plant reveals that nature is present even before homo sapiens were around. The hanging of leaves over the beach signifies the protection that nature has been giving us since the evolution from ape to man. The beach represents the technology that we have, even though the surrounding of the beach is stoned, nature has managed to overcome the obstacle that we have made. This shows the power of nature cannot be stopped by man.

Nature can be seen all around us, it seems that the nature is purely for beautifying the environment, but the underlying meaning is nature is there to protect us. If the weather suddenly turns bad at the beach, it is human instinct to run towards the nearest shelter for cover. If it so happens that all man-made shelters are full, some people will go seek shelter under a tree. Nature is often not fully appreciated(the back of the beach is facing the bamboo), but nature has been sheltering us all the way but yet we are ignorant of that fact.




















This image is a wooden shelter where the roof is made up of leaves of a plant. The plant that is resting on the wooden frame is so dense that very little light can pass through the leaves. Thus it is an ideal shelter, an ideal man and nature made shelter that we, as visitors of the Botanic Gardens can relax in.

This picture shows that man and Nature can co-exist with each other in harmony. The fact that Nature is sheltering the visitor from rain or shine while Man-made wooden frame provides the structure of the shelter, enabling the visitor to have sufficient area to relax in. This simple picture shows that Man and Nature can co-exist in harmony and one cannot live without the other. For example, if the Man-made wooden frame is absent, that the plant alone will not be able to provide the visitor with sufficient amount of space to rest in, similarly, if the dense plant is not present but the wooden frame is, the visitor will not be able to rest as the hot sun will continuously beat upon his back.

As a tourist arrives in Singapore and board a taxi to head to town, as the taxi travel down the ECP(East Coast Park) expressway, the scenery along the expressway is breathtaking as he can see blooming plant that is welcoming him into Singapore. Such an experience will left a good memory in the tourist’s mind, thus wanting him to return to Singapore along with his family, so that they can experience the beautiful scenery that has captivated the tourist’s heart. This Nature and Man partnership is unbeatable as nature provides the beauty while man provides the seat to sit back and relax. What else is better than this partnership between Man and Nature?

Sherman Tan 2B/06

This image shows a stoned pavement that is surrounded by greenery on both sides of the pavement. The path seems to lead further into the picture. However, the bright sunshine implies that the path is not a moribund path but a path of light. The path of light represents the good relationship that they will experience.

This image shows that nature and man can co-exist even though there are critics that state that man is overpowering nature as man has the aid of technology to do so and one example of man overpowering nature is deforestation, but in this picture, it shows man and nature can exist with each other and the sunshine represents that they are getting along very well. The path that seems endless implies that this relationship will go on forever and the long relationship is a good one as sun shines on the path.




















The background of this picture is bamboo stem that is erected straight from the ground and the wooden beach is placed in front of the bamboos. The bamboo leaves are hanging over the beach, shading the beach from the sun.

The height of the bamboo plant reveals that nature is present even before homo sapiens were around. The hanging of leaves over the beach signifies the protection that nature has been giving us since the evolution from ape to man. The beach represents the technology that we have, even though the surrounding of the beach is stoned, nature has managed to overcome the obstacle that we have made. This shows the power of nature cannot be stopped by man.

Nature can be seen all around us, it seems that the nature is purely for beautifying the environment, but the underlying meaning is nature is there to protect us. If the weather suddenly turns bad at the beach, it is human instinct to run towards the nearest shelter for cover. If it so happens that all man-made shelters are full, some people will go seek shelter under a tree. Nature is often not fully appreciated(the back of the beach is facing the bamboo), but nature has been sheltering us all the way but yet we are ignorant of that fact.






















This image is a wooden shelter where the roof is made up of leaves of a plant. The plant that is resting on the wooden frame is so dense that very little light can pass through the leaves. Thus it is an ideal shelter, an ideal man and nature made shelter that we, as visitors of the Botanic Gardens can relax in.

This picture shows that man and Nature can co-exist with each other in harmony. The fact that Nature is sheltering the visitor from rain or shine while Man-made wooden frame provides the structure of the shelter, enabling the visitor to have sufficient area to relax in. This simple picture shows that Man and Nature can co-exist in harmony and one cannot live without the other. For example, if the Man-made wooden frame is absent, that the plant alone will not be able to provide the visitor with sufficient amount of space to rest in, similarly, if the dense plant is not present but the wooden frame is, the visitor will not be able to rest as the hot sun will continuously beat upon his back.
As a tourist arrives in Singapore and board a taxi to head to town, as the taxi travels down the ECP(East Coast Park) expressway, the scenery along the expressway is breathtaking as he can see blooming plants welcome him into Singapore. Such an experience will leave a good memory in the tourist’s mind, thus wanting him to return to Singapore along with his family, so that they can experience the beautiful scenery that has captivated the tourist’s heart. This Nature and Man partnership is unbeatable as nature

Tan Ee Lyn 2A06

For a long time I treaded the shaded path
Dawdling in a static scene so tranquil;
All a sudden
The world
Fell skewed-
Me supine, and another
Laid sprawled
By my side.

For a long time I laid in a daze
Nonplussed as I surveyed the luminous face,
Its eyes a flame which daintily danced
Fueled by a singular intensity I took in at a glance.

I hearkened to a cry-
Not so fast, boy!
And in a flash that face was gone.
And for a long time I was once again alone,
Till a grey-haired individual puffed along-
Not so fast, boy!
He vociferated yet again.
Yet, as with the chasing,
It was all in vain;
The boy raced away.

My curiosity piqued,
I followed the duo,
Following more cries of:
Not so fast, boy! and
Slow down, you!
All to no avail.
Then I stopped dead in my tracks,
For the scene around me had changed.
And then,
Ahead,
A splash.
And the boy ran no more.






Epilogue


This poem is my attempt to more or less illustrate the early and current relationship between Man and Nature, or specifically Man’s development progressing in such leaps and bounds that he extricated himself from Nature, and the ever widening detachment from each other. The end is a grim prediction of Man’s not-too-distant future, if he continues to race recklessly ahead.


Tan Ee Lyn
2A06

Fiona Tan 2B’06

In the picture above, you will see a combination of both nature and man-made structures/objects. The concrete pathway shows how man has destroyed part of nature to create convenience for himself and the clean un-littered grounds shows how man has cleaned up the fallen leaves and changed nature to suit his taste.

On top of those, there is a vehicle in the background. This vehicle is a symbol of the advancing technology in the world today. Man has always made use of technology to change nature, exerting more power over nature in order to get his way.

You would also notice that the trees shown in this picture are also confined to a limited boundary, grown at strategic positions and spread out nicely to ensure that each tree would receive enough sunlight and water for survival. On most occasions, man also artificially adds fertilisers to ensure that the trees grow well. This shows that man has control over nature and artificially changes nature to suit his environment.

However, in the middle of the picture, you will see a black bird perching on the edge of a concrete boundary that surrounds the bottom of a tree. The bird was cawing at the time of the shot if you are able to observe its open beak. This bird is a symbol of nature complaining to man. If only man could understand nature(bird’s) tongue, it would be highly possible that the bird is telling man not to destroy nature, its home. The bird standing on the concrete structure also shows that nature is all around us and that we should be more aware of nature as it is integrated into our urban landscape.

This picture also tells us that in today’s society, trees and plants are no longer allowed to grow freely but are “tamed” and “maintained” by man to be used as display items. The bird in the picture also symbolizes alienation as man do not understand nature and treat nature as only a form of visual entertainment.

This picture is taken under a shade that was created by man. As you would observe, there are 3 wooden benches seen. From the cozy feeling of this airy shade, you would be able to guess that this is a place specially designated for man to rest and relax while enjoying the company of nature. As green is known as a soothing colour, the greenery of nature should be what attracted man to designate this spot for rest.

In the picture, you would be able to observe that the supports and roof of the shade created by man has been “invaded” and wrapped up by climbing plants. As the shade acts as a kind of support for the plants, it shows that nature is reliant on man for support and repays man by shading out the sun to create a nice shady rest area for man to rejuvenate his soul. This way, both man and nature has benefited from each other and does not inflict any harm on the other party.

In this picture, nature plays the role of a source of recreation and a form of relaxation in the lives of man. Messy as the branches of climbing plants are, they seem to have a comforting effect on man. Perhaps this is the natural soothing effect nature has on man.

This picture shows two parallel lines of trees lined up alongside the main entrance of the vehicle bay. By observing closely, you can easily tell that these trees are grown and maintained by man as they are of almost the same height and are well trimmed with branches decorated nicely with ferns. These trees are also limited to a cemented boundary constructed by man to ensure that the tree do not grow out of it’s specified area. The cemented boundaries also act as a place for man to rest and admire the beauty of nature in urban landscape.

As can be seen, the picture is almost symmetrical with the symmetry of the building and the same amount of trees on each side. This brings out the idea of urban planning. The orderly arrangement of the trees is symbolic of how man is influenced by the idea of the way his well planned urban landscape of almost similar height HDB flats built neatly side by side each other.

The cleanliness of the area also shows that man has took a lot of effort to integrate nature into this area. Yet, man does not allow nature to take its course(of allowing fallen leaves to decompose to become fertilisers). Instead, man used artificial fertilisers on nature. This shows that nature is under the control of man and man is manipulating nature as he likes while overlooking the natural side of nature.

Thus, the role of nature depicted in his picture is just to provide aesthetics and beautifying purposes, just like a puppet flung around by its puppeteer. This is very widely seen all over Singapore and it tells us that the place and status of nature in modern Singapore is considerably small.


Fiona Tan 2B’06

Kirk Tan 2B/06

prologue: i was inspired by the small boy in the picture above. he was playing with his ball on the grasspatch, which we seldom see people even making the effort to make their way down to these places, which also proves what i have just learnt; nature is a form of magic during our childhood days and it vanishes as the days pass by.

The fairytale

It all seemed like a fairy tale,
Now that I look back,
The joy that I once shared with nature,
Has been shelved in the rack

Nature once a friend,
Has been forsaken for the trend,
The beautiful childhood that I once possessed,
Has been cast aside for material progress

Looking at the trees that once seemed like rubbish,
I wished I could turn back in time to that moment,
Then I could really cherish,
And appreciate the greeneries that very instant

It all seemed like a fairy tale,
A beautiful tale that I have always wished,
I only wish,
To once again experience that sensation

kirk tan

TA 2B/06

Lance Ng 2B/06

Prologue: What inspired me to write this poem is the feeling which I got from the emptiness of the stage. It led me to think about how the building was not used and I related this to how man have been neglecting nature when we can put it to good use. The beauty of this scenery also led me to think of how wonderful and beautiful nature is.

The Stage

The Stage is there
For all to use
But nonetheless
It’s seldom used

The plants are there
For all to use
But how it’s used
It’s through its beauty

The Stage is there
For all to see
And what is does
Is totally amazing

The plants are there
For all to see
And what I see
Is beauty everywhere

The Stage and the plants
When put together
Creates a view
So breath-taking!

Done by Lance Ng 2B/06

Sophia Chew 2E/07

What inspired me to write this poem was the sight of a little girl at Botanical Gardens happily plucking the flowers off a plant. It may be deemed as merely an act of pure child innocence, but nevertheless, it reflects the greedy, selfish side of human nature. Hence, this poem is a lamentation on what is becoming of our physical world. Once perfect, but most is gone, due to man’s materialistic ways towards modernisation. Should we recall nature in its splendor, will man then put a stop to his destructive activities and restore its untainted beauty?

Where have all the flowers gone?
Long time passing
Where have all the flowers gone?
Long time ago
Where have all the flowers gone?
Young girls have picked them, every one.
Those splashes of red like crimson wine,
Could they have beheld such enchanting divine?

Once there were green fields,
Kissed by the sun.
Once there were valleys,
Where rivers used to run.
Once there were blue skies,
With white clouds high above
But once; formerly; dated; forgotten
Are they all just bygones?

Did we move too fast?
For the glow of nature to last.
The trees spread out in the rhythmic breeze,
The wind rustles the mid-afternoon leaves.
In all her untainted beauty,
Tarry we should pause to coddle and caress
To see the magnificence she could,
Should have
And once,
Possessed.

For she was wider,
Wider than Victoria’s lake
For she was taller,
Taller than the Empire State
Glory, grace and perfecting grandeur
Were once all said that was of nature.

Try to remember the kind of September
When life was slow and mellow
Try to remember the kind of September
When grass was green and grain was yellow
Try to remember when life was so tender
That no one wept except the willow
Try to remember and if you remember
Then won’t you turn back and follow.

Sophia Chew

TA 2E06

Tay Xiu Wen 2F

Sweet daylight stalker

The sun rises over the vast, endless horizon
Waiting, watching, for the rest of mother nature to appear.
Silently it, rings up the birds and the bees,
who soon begin humming their sweet melodies.

Its invisible heat waves piercing each being,
gradually bringing energy and life to its surroundings.
It smiles down upon us, as if laughing at our bliss.
It glares intensively, stinging our gleaming eyes.

It sheds no mercy with its scorching heat.
All day it shines with lasting constancy.
No one can resist this glistening gem in the sky,
its beams so reverend yet gentle.


As I was walking along the pathway of the botanical gardens, the heat from the sun was quite intense and it really disturbed my mood. I was greatly inspired by the mighty sun. The sun has the power to affect all life beings, both in a positive and negative way. The scorching heat from the sun can dampen one's mood and can be a nuisance. However, the heat emitted from the sun also helps to sustain all life forms on earth. This is similar the relationship between man and nature. Nature has the ability to benefit, as well as harm mankind. Therefore, we cannot underestimate the power of nature and the sun. Furthermore, we cannot exactly tame nature in way such that it would only be beneficial to us. We are at the mercy of nature and we can only admire and appreciate its ability.





Tay Xiu Wen


2F'06

eastina- poem

They gleamed so brightly under that sun
Light that shone from far above
Dew drops sparkled so furiously
Stopped to wave and beckoned me

Into the reverie I slipped
Amazed, enthralled by surrounding awe
As if a portrait, how picturesque!
I couldn’t help but digressed

The beauty that overwhelmed,
Was never passes despite so long
Time, the measure of eternity
Tell me is this forever that I see?

Fade away not that beloved sight
To stay it must, so fleet no more
Behold the moment, my dearest delight
This couldn’t be casual fantasy

This poem is inspired by the beautiful lush green of the garden. The pretty flowers and green hue of the grass seemed to compliment each other. As I basked in the gorgeous sight of the slightly wet grass glistening in the hot evening sun, I gained inspiration for the poem. It was a sight unable to be captured by cameras, only able to be enjoyed by the human eye. The view was overwhelming and beautiful to the point that I asked if it was eternal. This poem is a representation of how I felt and enjoyed that scenic view of the garden.

Eastina Tan 2C '06

Debbie Goh Hui Lin - 2B06

Prologue

The picture that I took above inspires some hope into me. I was feeling extremely down because nothing had come to my mind while walking through the evolution garden. A single shoot sprouting out of a ground covered by dead leaves gave me thought that all is not lost yet and that there’s always hope. Interestingly for or some reason, it seemed to make a connection to my life currently.
I read the bible every night as part of my quiet time, and attend church regularly. The pastor would preach the word of God to me, and though I comprehend what he says, I can never quite apply it to my daily life. In fact, I struggle a lot because I want to obey God very much, but I am inadequate. Ironically, I am aware that it is because I depend on myself rather than on God.
While walking in the park, I was consciously aware of God’s wonder and power, and how beautiful his creation was. I started to appreciate nature although still no inspiration was coming to me. Subconsciously, my spirit began to be uplifted. When I came across that wonderful spot where I took the picture, I thought that God seemed to be speaking to me, and for once, it was through the magnificence of nature’s beauty, that he was telling me not give up in whatever struggles I was facing in life. Most importantly, I have learnt that, whenever I am feeling down I can be sure that I’ll look at the nature around me, and seek God for hope. In a sense, since nature is all around me, I can rest be assured that God will always be there for me to offer me a sense of tranquility.

God’s world

I said
I will guard my ways, I will not sin with my tongue.
I will flee from the hands of the unjust men; I will not succumb to the hands of the wicked
For my enemies speak again and again,
“His God has forsaken him, let’s seize him!”

Countless times,
I keep silent
I hold on to my peace, but to no avail.
My heart is burning!
The furnace is many times the sun.

Oh world! I cannot hold thee close enough!
The blue jay and the chickadee
The chipmunk and his seeds
The rabbits and the sun
Ah! Genesis and all its wonder


Long have I recognized a glory in it all
But never did I know this:
At no time will all the leaves fall.
And now, Lord, for what do I wait?
My hope is in thee

By: Debbie Goh Hui Lin - 2B06

NATHANIEL LUM 2F

The Tree

Lonely.
Her solitary voice
Lost in the wind, forgotten.

Frightened,
Branches flailing.
Silently trembling in the cold

Caring.
Leaves caressing
The life cradled in her arms.

Handsome.
Standing proud
Even through all her battles.

The beauty of nature.
It revives us,
Making life worth living.

Night comes once more,
Weary she sleeps.

Kimberly Ng 2F/06

A New Beginning

Reminding one of their existence
The trees mark the path
Their leaves acting as shade
Using the sunlight as their bath

A source of protection
A friend for company
A time to start anew
A chance to be free

Treasure the support Nature’s lent
Forget the bad past
Start a better present
Make good times last

A new beginning is waiting for you.

I got the inspiration from this photo which has a path that looks deserted and is surrounded by trees. The tranquil scene allows you to think clearly with no clouded opinions. The trees there seem to be giving support and seem to be guiding you down the path. The path offers a new beginning, a chance to start again for those who have had terrible memories. This new beginning will allow these people to create better and happier memories. For others, this path could lead to the construction of more happy times. I wrote this poem with Romantic poets such as Coleridge in mind. I was thinking about their unhappy childhood and if people were ever experiencing bad times, they should look ahead and try to make their lives as happy as it can get. The scene also shows how nature is there for support and they mark the path. Without those trees marking the path, one might not see that path which could eventually lead to their happiness.

Kimberly Ng 2F/06

Tay Xiu Yu 2A

This is a picture depicting a creeper growing on a tree. The relationship between the creeper and the tree is the used and the user. The creeper uses the tree to help it grow as the creeper is too weak and thus unable to survive alone and the tree does not benefit from helping the creeper. I believe the relationship between man and nature is similar to the relationship between the creeper and tree. Man is like the creeper, dependent on the tree for survival while nature is like the tree helping man for nothing.

Like the creeper, man cannot survive on its own. Without nature and its resources, man would soon become extinct from starvation and other factors yet man is ungrateful, he takes more than he needs from nature simply because he feels that the more the better. He exploits nature’s resources building things that he does not need simply because he can build it.

Man’s actions will lead to his destruction sooner or later. With his exploitation of nature and its resources, man is progressing faster towards his doom like a moth drawn to flame. If man does not stop or slow down his exploitation of nature, he would go quicker to his extinction. Nature does not need man to survive. It survived when the dinosaurs went extinct; it would continue to survive even after man is extinct.

The preservation of nature in today’s modern society has become more important. I think it is more important compared to economic development because money is but paper, you cannot bring it with you when you die. Nature should play a more important part in modern society than it is playing now.

This is the picture of plants enclosed by a wooden “enclosure” with some plants breaking free of the “enclosure”. Man, in this case, is symbolized by the “enclosure”, Nature, as the plants inside the “enclosure”. Man is always trying to tame nature, trying to conquer it, trying to prove himself as the supreme master of the universe. Nature, however, is not giving in without a fight. Just like the plants breaking free of the “enclosure”, Nature is trying to break out of Man’s control.

Man cannot tame nature totally as there will always be a part that escapes. The best man can do is to try to contain it and even so, nature will always prevail. It will always find a way out of the prison man creates for it. Nature is never fully tame; it will always try its best to escape. Some examples include tree roots cracking the concrete slab, plants growing in the cracks of concrete slabs.

In the picture, the green grass and tree trunk seem much brighter when compared to the dull grey of the concrete slab. It is as if nature is trying to brighten the dull man-made landscape with its bright colours, making the world seem more beautiful, more colourful.

This characteristic of Nature, to survive despite obstacles, makes nature hard for man to control thus we can find plants growing everywhere. Examples are fungus growing beside the sink, plants growing within the cracks and the odd plant in some weird places. The colours that nature adds to our landscapes give our landscape a different dimension. The trees planted along the roadside make Singapore seem a brighter and less dreary place. Nature brightens up our landscape and makes Singapore seem a more beautiful place and without the addition of colours from nature, Singapore will look duller so I think Singapore cannot do without nature, there should always be a place for nature in modern society.

This picture shows a woman and her boy walking on the grass, relaxing which is one of the many benefits Nature can bring to man. This picture itself evokes a sense of calmness, a sense of harmony. Some of the other benefits Nature can bring to man are that it can act as a source of inspiration for artists, poets. It can also calm the mind and soothe the soul when one is troubled Nature can also teach students many lessons that cannot be learnt in classrooms. For example, Nature can teach a person that life in all form is sacred and that all life should be cherished, not just the life of a human but also the life of the flowers, animals even the life of a tiny ant.

Being among Nature (the flowers, the trees, even the rocks and rivers) could always bring men calmness. For me, I have always liked beaches, forests, places where I can “get in touch” with nature. For example, sitting on a beach with wind blowing at my face has always made me feel no worries, as if the wind had blown my troubles away. Just like the woman and boy in the picture, I like walking on grass, feeling the crunching of grass beneath my feet, using my toes to close the leaves of the mimosa.

Now, in Singapore, there are few spots of nature left. The preservation of nature has become secondary to economic development. Few people care about preserving what little bits of nature we have left, most people only care about money. Maybe one day, the above picture will never appear again. Real trees, flowers may be replaced by artificial ones and nobody will know the delight at smelling the flowers, running barefooted on the grass.

Tay Xiu Yu 2A

Jean Ng 2D/06

This picture is shows a pathway in the botanic gardens, splitting nature into two separate parts. To me, the picture looks like someone had deliberately bulldozed his way through the greenery, and that someone is Man.

When this park was built, a part of nature definitely had to be destroyed in order to make structures like buildings and pathways, even though the botanic gardens is a nature park and is supposed to convey the idea of preserving nature. Parks in general are a form of Man trying to bring back what they have lost though industrialization. Man is trying to preserve whatever he has left of nature and teach the future generations to learn not to exploit nature as well. However, in building such parks, they inevitably destroy more of nature, and add human touches to nature. It will all be worth it if people begin to appreciate nature because of nature parks and stop exploiting nature, however that will never happen because Man relies too heavily on nature for resources.



This picture shows a notice in the botanic gardens telling pet owners not to bring their pets to the botanic gardens as their urine will be absorbed by the granite boulders and fossilized tree trunks and will lead to unpleasant odour.

Pets are domesticated animals, and they rightfully belong to nature. Man is disrupting nature’s cycle by not allowing pets to roam free in nature. Even though we can be seen as protecting nature by not allowing pets to pollute the Evolution Garden, however, there would be no need to protect the plants if Man did not put those granite boulders and fossilised tree trunks there in the first place. Man is selfish, and we prevent pets from coming into the garden so that we can enjoy it by ourselves. The fact that our pets live in our houses and that we keep potted plants in our house shows that we want to bring back that connection with nature, however when we do that, we are reforming nature, and confining it to our urban society.



This picture shows a shadow of a person cast over a dirty pond.

The shadow represents darkness and death, and because it is a shadow of a person it represents Man bringing destruction onto nature. The dirty pond is an effect of Man’s pollution, a sure sign that Man has already started on destroying the environment. However, a shadow is only the absence of light, it is temporary, and it will disappear once light is shined upon it. On the other hand, the pond will be there longer than the shadow. Hence, Man will only temporarily gain control over nature, and ultimately nature will still be the one that is in control of mankind. In urban society today, Man only sees nature as a form of resource and exploitation. Even if we try to conserve resources, our technology is developing at such a fast pace that we end up using more from nature. Nature is now getting back at us for our endless destruction, through global warming and the hole in the ozone layer. The endless pollution and exploitation will never stop, because Man has already become too reliant on nature.

SIDDHARTH! 2E'06

I got the idea for this poem from looking at the trees in the botanical gardens. It also made me realise that we all take trees for granted and even cut the down without any regards for the consequences of what effect it might have on the environment.

The Story Of A Tree

The tree stands tall
Giving breath to all
Its everlasting Beauty
Enduring all weather and time

Giving shade from the sun
Its leaves dancing in the wind
Branches swaying with the breeze
Its death provides for the earth

Its wood carries the written word
Its children feed the hungry
Why does man not relieve
The tree of its pain

Done by: SIDDHARTH! of 2E'06 YAYY!

Chuang Ying Xuan 2A06

Shadow

A little light,
A little shade,
A little sight to behold.

A wind blows,
The fronds tremble,
It becomes a blur.

Misty,
Murky,
Ever changing,
It is alive and kicking.

It caresses me,
It kisses me.
I see my own—
The shadow.

by Chuang Ying Xuan 2A06

(Sorry Sir, I forgot to include the epilogue :/ )

Epilogue:
I was inspired by how the Romantic poets can personify and show appreciation for Nature through different means, like by seeing with their own eyes or through another element of Nature (take the Ode to West Wind for example). Ergo, I have tried to use one element of Nature to emphasize on a palm tree. But instead of showing an actual palm, I have tried to appreciate it through something that is related to it- the shadow it makes in the sun.

Yeo Jia Wen 2E/06

This image shows many trees grown in an urban landscape, surrounding many man-made structures like lamp posts and shelters. As compared to these man-made structures, nature is overwhelmingly huge. This shows the vastness of nature in the urban landscape. It depicts nature as a powerful huge entity, covering and overshadowing the structures that man placed amidst them. The smallness of the lamp post amidst its surroundings further illustrates the helplessness of urban society when they interact with nature. This is especially true in the case of natural disasters, where nature would definitely emerge as victors over any society no matter how urban and developed they are. Thus, it can be seen that nature plays an important role in urban society today, as they are huge and influential to the urban landscape. Sunlight penetrating the area from the top right hand corner of the image also suggests a sense of hope derived form nature. This also suggests that nature can be a form of inspiration to man, as man constructs the urban landscape. As such, nature can also be seen as the key inspiration for man in beautifying the urban landscape.

This image shows a man-made structure, one with rocks and a spherical ball, amidst the natural surroundings. It shows the balance and harmony between nature and the urban landscape it is set in. Sunlight shining on the spherical ball brings out the perfect rounded contours of the structure and this sense of perfection is illustrated upon the artificial edgy rocks the ball is placed on. This seems to suggest that things can be more ideal when nature is incorporated into our urban lives, just like how sunlight brings out the perfection of the urban landscape. The plants and trees in the background also bring out the beauty of the man-made structure. As such, it can be seen that nature is harmoniously incorporated into the urban landscape, and plays an important role in eliciting the beauty of the urban landscape and bringing it to perfection.

This image shows a plant growing out of the area it is supposed to be kept in. The plant’s leaves have far extended beyond the string used to withhold them. It is significant as it shows the power of nature of overcoming the restrictions which man impose on them. This image suggests that nature is very influential in urban society today, as she is able to impose their will on man, however unwilling man may be to accept the results. Nature is able to do so in spite of man’s fruitless attempts to suppress it, or prevent it from happening as she has the power over man. It shows that although technology is very advanced in urban society today, it may still fail to defeat nature as nature is an uncontrollable body. It is evident in society we live in today, where we witness natural disasters befall even the richest countries. One clear example would be the disaster of Hurricane Katrina, which hit the north-central Gulf Coast of the United States and caused much devastation to that area. As such, the influential power of nature in urban society today is clearly overwhelming.

Yeo Jia Wen

2E/06

Rachel Er Sok Sian 2E'06

What inspired my poem was Wordworth’s idea that the destruction of nature by man eventually leads to the lost of connection with nature. Man used to be able to enjoy the beauty of nature, untainted, but now has since been changed drastically. The reason for writing this poem is to illustrate the change from the past till the present, when we could no longer appreciate the beauty of nature as it faces destruction through our hands.

Rivers and streams gushing with time,
Endlessly they sing.
Forgotten are all troubles,
For much laughter do they bring.

The wind gently blowing its lullaby,
Like a mother lulling her tune.
Enchanting all it encounters,
Soothing all our fears.

Flowers in gay profusion,
Petals they dance with glee.
Delighting all who gaze upon them,
For lovely hues of joy is seen.

Majestically ancient trees,
Resembling sentinels watching us.
In awe we revere,
Spell-bounded we behold.

Birds and Bees and all that fly,
Freely they wander in the skies.
Boundless in flight like our thoughts,
Imagination soaring unchained.

Appreciative we should have been,
Alas materialism manipulates our minds.
What we had we now destroyed,
Beauty is only but a dream.

Thick haze hangs in the air,
Smoldering our frantic lives.
Fresh air we used to breathe,
Yet now struggling to retrieve.

Slash and burn for profit gains,
We only have ourselves to blame.
Gone is greenery that pleases the eye,
Replace by soot that blights our sight.

Unbalanced is the world at hand,
Endangered are the species of the land.
Seeking to regain what we had,
Reduce, reuse, recycle, or regret.

Done by:

Rachel Er(:

Wah Rou Lin Claris 2A/06

This photograph shows a young boy sitting down comfortably on the cement ground in the company of the plants and tress around him. He took out his hat and is tying his shoelaces at the moment.

Basically, this image just shows that in an urban space, the company of trees which is part of nature provides relaxation to man and can be a source of rejuvenation for their soul. In this photograph, the boy is sitting down in the middle of nowhere to tie his shoelaces. This shows that when surrounded by nature, the boy is totally at ease and does not even care about his public image. The only place one will not bother about their public appearances will be our homes. Thus, this image seems to suggest that the boy treats this place like his home where he can behave like his normal self and this emphasizes the point that nature helps to soothe one’s soul and allow man to be at ease. The cool colours such as green and light blue, in this picture are not very striking, but soothing. There is an suitable amount of sunlight in this image and the innocence of the young boy makes the whole photograph very comfortable to look at. This shows the harmony between man and nature.

This image shows that nature plays an important role in urban society today. It serves as a source of relaxation for people to let go of all their frustrations and be at ease. Many people often go to nature spots to relax as the scenery of all the trees and flowers just seem to have a soothing effect on man.




This photograph shows two black pipes connected to two grass patches and there is a big gap filled with stones and pebbles between the grass patches.

The big gap in the ground represents the connection that is lost between man and nature. The black pipes that are stuck in the ground are man-made creations. The image portrays the pipes trying to pull the two grass patches closer to it. Thus, this image seems to suggest that man is trying to connect to nature and pull nature closer to them. However, there are pebbles and rocks in the gap which appear to be there some time ago and they serve as obstructions to man’s attempt to connect back to nature. Moreover, the colour of the pipes, which is black, is contrasting to the light green colour of the grass which means that the two colours do not blend with each other. It seems to suggest that man and nature are not in harmony with each other anymore, just like how the black pipes do not blend in with the grass patches. Therefore it shows that man’s attempt to embrace nature and to regain connection with nature is not very successful.

The image presents the scenario of nature slowly losing connection with man and there is less hope of regaining connection between both parties in the urban society today. People nowadays are too preoccupied with the modern world and all the technologies. People cut down trees and mangroves for industrialisation and these actions are destroying nature bit by bit and we do not care anymore. We no longer treat nature as our friend or something we are concerned with. Thus, man is losing connection with nature.




This photo shows the plants and flowers being enclosed in a small area set up by man. However, the plants and flowers are branching out of the enclosed area which is made up of several planks tied securely together with a green rope.

The branching out of the plants and flowers seems to show the power of nature over man-made creations. The bright colours that the flowers possess are contrasting with the dull colour of the planks and rope. This also suggests that nature and man are not coexisting in harmony. Man’s attempt to dominate over nature and to confine nature in a specific area can be interpreted by the tight knots made by the green rope around the planks to secure the planks and prevent the plants from branching out. The futile attempt signifies that nature cannot be controlled or dominated by man no matter how hard man tries.

Thus, we can interpret that nature holds an important place in urban society. It cannot be controlled by man-made creations or dominated by man. At times when nature is controlled or dominated by man, it is only temporarily. Nature will soon break out of man’s clutches just like how the plants branched out of the enclosed area in the photo. Examples would include natural disasters such as tsunamis and volcano eruptions where man has no control over nature even though how hard they try and are helpless when natural disasters cause destruction to their homes and take away their lives. This is like a form of revenge on man and shows the power of nature over man.


Claris Wah
2A/06

Teo Zhi Hao 2e'06.

The place was basically shrub infested. Plants, trees, flowers. Everything seemed so similar, so similar. Until i saw this bandstand, which really stood out from the rest. I took a picture. Although the trees and greenery brought out a certain sense of serenity, it came across to me as somewhat, lonely and empty. It was original built as a landscape design for the botanical gardens, which was later altered for the purpose of military band performances, but gradually became a landscape feature once again, to fit along with the entire theme of nature. The whole of last term we have been discussing about man and nature, and this, amongst all that nature that engulfs it, shows how man slowly conforms with nature, despite initially trying to change it for entertainment purposes.

The Bandstand

Erected it stands, the epicenter
The cynosure
The music plays
drum and bass,
loud and clear.

Pentandra pavonina
flower
fruit
bud

Forsaken, its purpose
Once staged by military bands
Music echoes,
It’s the wind,
Pray you, hear.

That distant sound
Marching bands?
No,
The swaying trees
with outstretched hands.

Forgotten, it stands
Serene.
Empty.
The music plays
No, it’s the wind,
Pray you, hear.

Han Xinci 2B/06

Picture 1, Man’s integration
This picture depicts a water cooler in the Evolution Garden with bushes at the back. The water cooler is constructed with inspiration from nature. The structure of the bark of a tree is used as a support. This can be a representation of man’s need for nature to supply us with water which everyone needs for survival. Stone is used as the basin to hold the wasted water. This can be a representation of the destruction made to nature by man. Nature is providing us with resources, yet we are creating wastes and destroying it. The design of the water cooler is based on nature. Man is trying to blend it in to the bushes at the background of the picture. However, it is still artificial. It is impossible for man-made features to exist with nature as one.


Picture 2, Dominance of man or nature?

This picture depicts a circular shelter surrounding a group of trees. This can represent man’s domination and control over nature. It is the main focus of the picture and the only man-made feature inside as well. The focus suggests man’s self-centeredness. We always think that we can shape nature to what we want, just like how the trees are situated in the middle of the circle. The shelter built on the uphill can again be referred as man’s dominance. However, when we look beyond the shelter, we realize that there are bigger trees around the shelter as well. These trees grow much taller compared to those inside the shelter. Man tends to forget that we are unable to manipulate everything about nature. They are beyond our control.

Picture 3, Nature and modernisation
The image above is mainly made up of rocks, stones and pebbles, all of which are natural. However, at the foreground, we can see a little lamppost. It is part of the urban landscape as it is artificially constructed. The reason it is there is to aid people move around when it is dark. This suggests efforts by man to create comfort in our lives with technology. However with such modernizations, man must take into consideration of its harm done to nature. The lamppost does not blend into rocks. There is a contrast between the rounded lamppost and the sharp rocks. Certain places of nature must be conserved even though man needs modernization.

- Han Xinci 2B/06