grahamramsden52 on flickr
21 below zero. Maybe it's my imagination, but it's almost like you can see the cold.
The Snow Man
by Wallace Stevens
by Wallace Stevens
One must have a mind of winter
To regard the frost and the boughs
Of the pine-trees crusted with snow;
And have been cold a long time
To behold the junipers shagged with ice,
The spruces rough in the distant glitter
Of the January sun, and not to think
Of any misery in the sound of the wind,
In the sound of a few leaves,
Which is the sound of the land
Full of the same wind
That is blowing in the same bare place
For the listener, who listens in the snow,
And, nothing himself, beholds
Nothing that is not there and the nothing that is.
To regard the frost and the boughs
Of the pine-trees crusted with snow;
And have been cold a long time
To behold the junipers shagged with ice,
The spruces rough in the distant glitter
Of the January sun, and not to think
Of any misery in the sound of the wind,
In the sound of a few leaves,
Which is the sound of the land
Full of the same wind
That is blowing in the same bare place
For the listener, who listens in the snow,
And, nothing himself, beholds
Nothing that is not there and the nothing that is.
Something I have noticed about the deep cold is that you can hear things from a much farther distance. Like a train, for example, you can hear from about ten minutes away, and all the while it sounds like it is right on top of you. It is sort of like having your head under water and being able to hear a power boat that is miles away.
ReplyDeleteI agree, John. In fact I've noticed that all of my senses are heightened in really cold weather. Must be a survival mechanism.
ReplyDeleteI also want to know how many car started this morning. Also Bill, great minds think alike.
ReplyDeleteHonda didn't start the last two days. That's really interesting what you say about the cold, and how the sound is like when your head is underwater. I wonder if there's an actual qualitative difference with air molecules when it's really cold. Are they closer together, denser? How would that impact sound? I actually remember a hike up the Crossroads we took last January when you and Ellen were visiting, and the sound of the train from West Rutland. It sounded like it was right on top of us. Part of the phenomenon, I think, it that it's just quieter this time of year, and the snow muffles some of the background noise. Loud sounds like trains & barking dogs are just more noticable by contrast.
ReplyDeleteApparently sound waves tend to bend toward cold air, and away from warmer air. When it's very cold, the coldest air is near the ground so sounds tend to be concentrated. When it's warm, the coolest air tends to be higher up so sound is dispersed under those conditions. You're welcome.
ReplyDelete