Life, in essence, is a search for belonging, purpose and meaning. However, humans often do not possess enough wisdom to determine what is worth pursuing in life. Although double-digit years of life experience may seem like a long enough period of time to justify following a certain path, nature has been around and has provided for organisms for an incomprehensible amount of time. Although humans are inherently blessed with incredible cognitive and emotional abilities, we are also born with many of the same flaws and temptations. Therefore, Bridget Sprouls calls for a greater reliance on nature and spontaneity in her poem “Scout.” Through contrasting metaphors of modern and historical lifestyles, a thoughtful tone, and disjointed form, Sprouls recounts an individual's search for identity, suggesting that nature should be the primary guide to life. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Sprouls uses symbolism to juxtapose the contradictory lifestyles of modern dependence on material goods with historical dependence on nature. “Old Austin” is a nostalgic adage often used by longtime residents to express their dissatisfaction with the rapidly changing culture. The speaker respects and admires an individual enough to spontaneously venture into that place in Austin that the man so often references. Austin represents the speaker's journey toward a state of existence based on nature and reaction, a way of life that existed before urban sprawl and societal fixation on technology. Ironically, the speaker did not anticipate the extreme change that this "trip to Austin" would evoke, and therefore planned a short trip, because she "packed a duffel bag and overwatered the garden" (lines 3 -4) expecting to return soon, “and left on foot” (4). Still part of current materialist culture, she is seduced by “the beating of engines” (7) which represents industrialized and modern civilization. After experimentation and discovery, the speaker has become more integrated with old Austin's call to coexistence with nature than with modern culture, and tensions arise when the two come into conflict: "I woke up with a soft squeaky melody like an invocation of ice and stumbled, half-awake, trying to answer the phone in the forest” (13-15). The speaker is tempted by her phone, which represents the all-consuming essence of materialism, but she fails to use the device successfully while in the forest. This modern lifestyle focused on material priority, although sweet and tempting, cannot coexist in nature, our original home. The long metaphor of Austin as a travel destination reappears in the final stanza, as the speaker is "eager to turn on the air conditioning" (24) to escape the heat and humidity. The return to historic life and spontaneity is uncomfortable and is symbolized by Austin's extreme heat and humidity. She desires relief, through death and a return to paradise, after an exhausting but fruitful life of intentions and meaning. Eager to refresh herself in the comfortable environment of Heaven, the speaker is ready to give God a tour and recap of her life. Sprouls contrasts images of “ancient” life in coexistence with nature with a modern, material-based lifestyle. Sprouls' thoughtful tone creates a sense of wisdom and experience, allowing the speaker to fully describe the process of discovery she is undertaking. The beauty of spontaneity lies inthe unknown, which is a gateway to endless opportunities for identity discovery. The speaker is only able to think about things like the "most awkward moment" (8) after she has absorbed everything about the trip as a whole. This style of writing contributes to the idea of ​​completing one's process of self-discovery, as she speaks with a tone of finality. This fundamental aspect of the poem is manifested in the title of the piece, because a scout is someone who is searching, in this case for identity. Another form of reflection present throughout the work is its presentation of events in hindsight: “What if I drooled into rock receivers? (16). The speaker suggests that she has no shame in drooling over these "rock receivers" because she has learned from the experience. The use of the phrase "so what" affirms the intentionality of a seemingly absurd action and suggests that she disregards the judgment she knows she will receive, because she values ​​her own personal discovery over the opinions of others. In this process, the speaker discovers that what she was looking for is a reactionary existence to nature: “Someone had to find a loft with flexible floors” (19). This use of the phrase “someone needed” suggests that this was an essential necessity, and one that she eventually realized. This further contributes to the tone of the reflection, as the speaker can look back on her experience with pride, a pride expressed when she says: "Who better to memorize the acoustics of local places, to know which houses were haunted, which gutters led? somewhere?" (20-22). In the first stanza, the speaker relates that she "watered the garden too much" (4) before leaving, which reveals her earlier naivety in believing that she would return home in her garden after the "journey." The tone of reflection allows the speaker to mock her misconception of the discoveries and subsequent changes in her life. Additionally, Sprouls expresses the discomfort that inevitably accompanies a life led. by nature and without the luxury of material objects This discomfort is demonstrated everywhere, by expressions such as "embarrassing moment", (8) "someone had to do it", (17, 19) "tripping", (14). ) “tumble” (23) and “leave on foot” (4) While the speaker admits her eagerness to get out of discomfort and “turn on the air conditioning,” (24) she also greatly appreciates what she is doing. has endured, as she is eager to give "the first tour" (25) of her life. The speaker's reflective tone allows her to describe the entire process of discovery she is undergoing from a finalized and finalized perspective. wise. Sprouls uses a disjointed form to further the theme of spontaneity and natural instinct in the work. While the first stanza is structured as a flowing thought, which sets the context and setting, it is followed by a six-word stanza: “The beat of the engines enchanted me” (7). Sprouls sets this statement apart to highlight his temptation to rely on material goods, paving the way for later clarity in the juxtaposition of materialism and nature. Very suddenly, the speaker begins a new stanza and shifts to her complete lack of money, which she says necessitated a period of prostitution: "Short of money, I bartered my eyelashes" (9-10 ). This abrupt and unexpected confession represents the overall message of the poem which encourages relying more on impulse and "going with the flow." The speaker then goes on to somewhat sarcastically thank the farmers for providing her with food and the "dogs" (12) for not attacking her, referring to some of the men to whom she sold her body. By thanking these people, the speaker appreciates a seemingly dark and gloomy moment in her..