Sunday the only day we don't work:
             Early sun: I've eaten breakfast and I'll
             Goodbye. Hopping on creekbed boulders
             In steep gorge glacier-slick rattlesnake country
             Jump, land by a pool, trout skitter,
             Bad place by a falls, boulders big as houses,
             I stemmed up a crack and almost fell
             Quail chicks freeze underfoot, color of stone
             Then run cheep! away, hen quail fussing.
             Craggy west end of Benson Lake-after edging
             Past dark creek pools on a long white slope-
             From far above: deep shimmering trout.
             Through slide-aspen and talus, to the east end,
             Down to grass, wading a wide smooth stream
             I chose this poem because it is my personal favorite poem of Gary Snyder's, the father of the Beat movement. Before I begin to analyze this poem though, the reader should be familiar with the idea that Gary Snyder (along with many other writers) uses both stone and rocks, as well as water sources, such as glaciers and streams, as a symbol for protective and life-giving spirits, who are parental figures to humankind.
             This poem focuses on two themes. One theme is the idea of the protective nature of the rocks and streams. Throughout the poem there are images of these spirits both actively and passively protecting both Snyder and the wildlife the poet's speaker encounters.
             The second theme is, quite simply, the satisfaction of spontaneous decision-making and exploration. The joy of
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