In wildness is the preservation of the world metallica

Metallica Of Wolf And Man
Off through the new day's mist i run
Off from the new day's mist i have come
I hunt
Therefore i am
Harvest the land
Taking of the fallen lamb

Off thruogh the new day's mist i run
Off from the new day'smist i have come
We shift
Pulsing with the earth
Company we keep
Roaming the land while you sleep

Shape shift nose to the wind
Shape shift feeling i've been
Move swift all senses clean
Earth's gift back to the meaning of life

Bright is the moon high in starlight
Chill is the air cold as steel tonight
We shift
Call of the wild
Find more lyrics at ※ Mojim.com
Fear in your eyes
It's later than you realized

Shape shift nose to the wind
Shape shift feeling i've been
Move swift all senses clean
Earth's gift back to the meaning of life

I feel i change
Back to a better day
Hair stands on the back of my neck
In wildness is the preservation of the world

So seek the wolf in thyself

Shape shift nose to the wind
Shape shift feeling i've been
Move swift all senses clean
Earth's gift
Back to the meaning of wolf and man

We had to analyze a poem for an English class a while ago. Our teacher was forgiving enough to let us use lyrics ("since poetry itself originated there", she'd said). I thought mine might interest you guys.

I've left out the stuff that was only in answer to the prompt or otherwise didn't relate.

Of Wolf And Man, written by James Hetfield (Metallica frontman), is not only a poem, but lyrics to a song. At first, the simplistic lyrics seem to merely be about werewolves. Looking more closely, they also have a deeper, more allegoric meaning about the primality of humans.

The song explores the idea that humans, at their basest form, are no different than any other animal, and that ultimately, we are no less instinctual and beast-like than the rest of them. The lyrics are sound on both concrete and metaphorical levels. On the surface, it is about werewolves, that is clear. However, werewolves themselves were developed as a metaphor for the primal side, or the 'wolf', if you will, within all of us. While the first two choruses end with "back to the meaning of life", the final one concludes with "back to the meaning of wolf and man", suggesting that we must embrace our 'wolf' to experience our own basic nature.

In the bridge of the song, there's a quote that says "in wildness is the preservation of the world". This is taken directly from Thoreau's 'Walking', an essay that proposes similar ideas about humans and nature, and similarly says that we must accept our wild side to understand who we are. The lyrics further suggest that we may be better off operating entirely instinctively. They paint a vivid image: when the man completes his transformation into the wolf (ie goes from tame to wild), his senses are 'clean', his movements 'swift' and purposeful. He is now the rawest and most visceral form of his natural self.

Some comparisons:

These concepts can be found in the story 'The Call Of The Wild'. The protagonist, a dog named Buck, starts out as the pet of a prim and proper rich man. By the end of the book, he is acutely aware of his more wolf-like nature. He is able to survive the hardships that he goes through only by adapting and going from domesticated to wild animal; from being the doted upon pet of a man, he turns into a hunter of men.

A similar parallel can be drawn to 'The Most Dangerous Game'. In it, the main plot point is the differences between man and beast, which the protagonist is initially sure of, having a discussion with his partner about it. Yet, in the end, he is successful in killing the antagonist only because he was able to embrace and become his inner beast.

The final comparison that can be made is to a scene from the movie 'The Dark Knight'. A particularly well known quote from the film's antagonist states "When the chips are down, these 'civilized people'? They'll eat each other." He makes a strong argument that all these walls of society and civilization, and looking at ourselves as 'above' or 'beyond' the natural world ('animal', for instance, is often used as an insult toward someone with what would be deemed uncivilized behavior) are a mere facade, and at the slightest drop of them, humanity would revert to, in his mind, its true, beast-like self.