The Willow Maid, by Erutan, is a song about a young hunter who meets a nymph in the forest. The man falls in love with her, and decides to pursue her romantically. However, the nymph refuses his advances, simply because she cannot leave the forest, or specifically, her willow tree. Out of frustration, the man decides to take the nymph by chopping down her tree. When he drags her out, however, she transforms into a flower, where she’ll bloom for one night only. When the song finally ends, Erutan reveals that the reason why the man and the nymph could never be together was because the man tried to take something that didn’t belong to him.

The song illustrates a longstanding conflict between humanity and nature. On one hand, humanity continues to assert dominance on earth, all in the name of progress. On the other hand, nature is known to cause tragedies on catastrophic levels, from the wildfires in California, to landslides, to hurricanes. Of course, there are zoos and conservatories so people can still learn about nature from afar. And there are places in nature where people can look at its beauty without disturbing its environment. However, given the history between humanity and nature, these attempts for humanity and nature to coexist can, by no means, account for the devastation the two have caused to one another.

Many writers have attempted to describe this conflict, though whether by reconciliation or war. One of the writers who advocated living harmoniously with nature is Henry David Thoreau. In his book Walden, he talks about living in a small cabin next to a pond, where in his solitude he contemplates human nature. By the time he leaves his small cabin, he’s convinced that human beings don’t need to live in luxury to have a fulfilling life. Another one of these writers was Rachel Carson, a biologist who penned the now famous book, Silent Spring. These “nature writers” have shown how humanity can respect nature, all while living their own lives.

However, there are writers who’ve told audiences the exact opposite. When humanity and nature are at war, results tend to be disastrous. The Birds by Daphne Du Maurier tells the story of a group of birds that begins attacking the people of Cornwall. In the movie The Shallows, a young woman must find a way to survive when a great white shark attacks her. Stories like this illustrate the classic example of humanity vs nature, putting the two sides in a fight against each other to see who dominates the other.

Whether it be fiction or nonfiction, poetry or prose, humanity’s complex relationship with nature will always be a source of contention. Whatever your philosophy is, whether it be humanity or nature dominating one another, or humanity and nature coexisting with each other, there’s no doubt this relationship is important for writers, one that gives us an important understanding of what it means to truly appreciate something.