The Etiquette of Freedom focuses on living in the natural world. Snyder felt it was important to stay connected to nature as a way of preventing what he believes is a phenomenon of “cultural extinction” (167). He focuses solely on the importance of being grateful for the aesthetics of the natural world and becoming part of a whole by preserving it. He defined “nature” as not being a place that one visits but the home. He defined it into two different meanings using the “two headed calf” as a metaphor because of the definition being interconnected; the first meaning the faculties of the mind and second, everything that is the outdoors. It seemed to be contradictory at first but I understood this to mean that the product of what we create with the faculty of the mind is the result of what we use to either create or destroy our natural surroundings. In this case, what we occupy or populate is the result of what we create through the faculty of the mind.  

     Since we have a survival instinct, he refers to it as the “wild” and the “wilderness” which Snyder says is the essence of belonging (169). The “bodies wild” is explained as self-regulating which is constantly flowing because the mind is something we have no control over when it comes to keeping track of it. Although there is a strong contrast between the civilized and the wild, we must first share what is biologically common in our existence before emphasizing on the differences. Snyder’s figurative use of analogies can be construed as literal as well; I think that is why I'm so drawn to the way he expresses his concepts in this particular piece.  

Language is determined by the way we behave and the intrinsic nature should be naturally ethical. Compassion, simplicity, and humility should be natural pursuits, intentionally attempting to preserve the aesthetics of culture in order to “preserv[e] the germ” (173).

     He uses these same uncompromising ideas in his book of poems titled “Axe Handles” which describes a craftsmanship of culture, family, the past and the present, and how his vision depicts location, discernment, and life cycles. Very similar to Kerouac and Whitman’s view of nakedness and renewal through experience, Snyder’s poem “River in the Valley” touches briefly on the cycles referring to both his sons Gen and Kai using the descriptions of nature to denote how water is never ending or recurring; it is something that one of the boys asks where it comes from because it flows continuously. He emphasizes a repetition of a life cycle in “For/From Lew” with a reference to recalling the memory of Lew Welch. This honorable mention inspired Snyder to remember the importance of teaching our offspring all the cycles of life because “that’s what it’s all about” (6). Like water, it is ever flowing and trickles with constant recurrence. One thing I find pretty interesting is his constant reference to chills and goose bumps, is this a way of making a self-discovery of some sort of epiphany in his life that he seems to be retracting back to a former time? I was hoping maybe someone can elaborate a little on this particular aspect of his poems.