Chapter1

A LETTER TO SOMEONE LIVING FIFTY YEARS FROM NOW

This poem by Matthew Olzmann is in the form of a narration between a person from the present
to a person in the future. The poem acts as a kind of time capsule and takes us into a future where
nearly all life-forms would be dead, the earth would be severely contaminated with poisonous
substances, and there will be nothing pure and good to look forward to. In a tone of apology and
self-justification, the narrator suggests that humans of his generation had indeed a higher
sensibility because they were capable of enjoying the beauty of Nature, identifying
constellations, and thinking philosophical thoughts. Maybe they did not think enough and self-
consciously about the damage they were inflicting, and therefore could not act in time to repair
the damage. That explains why the death of bees came to them as a sudden, shocking discovery.
What the poem conceals with its light tone are the grave consequences of a life without bees, the
ace-pollinators of the world.

Thus the poem promotes sustainable development where is needs of the present is fulfilled
without compromising the needs of the future. The poem shows how pathetic the world will be if
we continue with our unsustainable development.

The poet imagines that in the future world there won’t be any elephant, golden toad, thylacin or
any variations of whale because within fifty years all these animals would have become extinct
due to the barbarous hunting and killing of these animals for sport or food. The narrator (from
the present) confesses that they (present generation) drove these animals to extinction not
because they hated these animals but they weren’t seriously conscious about the greater
consequences of their actions. They just thought about the present needs and short-term
entertainment (consequence of unsustainable development).

There will be nothing good or enjoyable in the future because due to unsustainable development
we would have degraded the earth to the extent that the future generation is filled with chemicals
like benzene and mercury instead of any flora or fauna. The extend of pollution and degradation
is shown in the line, “the stomachs of seagulls rippled with jet fuel and plastic”, meaning the sea
gulls will have to feed and live on jet fuels and plastic because all water bodies and air is
completely polluted.

Witnessing the degradation that the present generation has done to the future, the future men
might think that we are incapable of joy or enjoying beauty. But the narrator clears off this
prejudice by explaining that they were indeed capable of joy. The narrator explains to the future
generation that in their times the world wasn’t filled with chemicals like lead paint and sulfur
dioxide as in the future. Back then they had sky with stars, forest and lakes. They used to enjoy
the beauty of the nature and were transcended seeing the wonders and beauty of God’s creation.
But while we were enjoying the nature’s beauty and utilizing natural resources for their daily
needs we weren’t aware of the consequences of our overexploitation of resources. The narrator
says that these consequences became clear to us when all the bees were dead while we were
enjoying the marvels of pollination. By mentioning the bees, the poet makes it clear that even a
small species if become extinct from the food chain can have serious consequences on the
ecological balance. Thus, through the poem the author urges the readers to be aware of the
consequences of their unsustainable development and to promote sustainable development to
avoid a disastrous future.

1. According to the narrator, fifty years from now, what would have happened to the
elephant, the thylacine, the golden toad and the whale?
The elephant, the thylacine, the golden toad and the whale would have become extinct
due to the excessive exploitation of these animals by hunting or killing for food or sport.

2. What material would our successors have inherited?

Our successors would have inherited benzene, mercury, lead paints and sulfur dioxide.
There won’t be anything good or beautiful in the future world with stomachs of seagulls
rippled with jet fuel and plastic as symbols of pollution.

3. Which “illuminated doodles” does the narrator mention?

The stars are mentioned as illuminated doodles in the poem. Doodles means aimlessly
drawn designs or sketches. The narrator recalls how his ancestors used to make shapes
out the stars by connecting each stars like dots.

4. What does the phrase “seagulls rippled with jet fuel” refer to?
This phrase shows the extent of pollution and environmental degradation where due to air
and water pollution the seagull’s stomach is filled with jet-fuel or plastic. It shows how
toxic the habitat has become for living beings to survive.

5. What does the clause “We still had the night sky back then” imply?
This clause implies that there is no sky in the future because the sky is hidden due to
pollution and drastic changes in the climatic conditions. The people of the future have not
experienced night sky or stars or any other natural beauties like forests or lakes.

6. How does the narrator seek to establish that her generation was capable of refined
thinking?
The narrator establishes that his generation was capable of refined thinking because they
were able to experience and enjoy the beauty of nature. They had the night sky with its
stars, forests and lakes to enjoy and transcend themselves. They admired and witnessed
the marvels of God’s creation even in the simplest but vital act of the bees being a part of
 creation by aiding the process of pollination. When they saw how even such a small
species like bees has such a great impact on life they were transcended.

7. What picture of the future does the poem sketch?

The narrator depicts a future where nearly all life-forms would be dead, the earth would
be severely contaminated with poisonous substances, and there will be nothing pure and
good to look forward to. The poet imagines that in the future world there won’t be any
elephant, golden toad, thylacin or any variations of whale because within fifty years all
these animals would have become extinct due to the barbarous hunting and killing of
these animals for sport or food. Our successors would have inherited benzene, mercury,
lead paints and sulfur dioxide. There won’t be anything good or beautiful in the future
world with stomachs of seagulls rippled with jet fuel and plastic as symbols of pollution.
There won’t be any natural features like night sky or forest or lakes but everything ll b
filled with chemicals. Due to this monotonous existence the future generation would be
denied even refined thinking,