Have you ever witnessed a gorgeous blue heron with its solemn and royal posture standing by a lake alone? Its elongated neck reaches the sky, and its wise, inquiring stare almost looks otherworldly in nature. From its spiritual significance in mythology to its reverence as a symbol of grace, healing, and power, this extraordinary bird has fascinated humans for thousands of years. In many cultures, especially for the Native Americans, these birds are seen as messengers from higher realms- symbolizing a deep connection to intuition and insight for those who witness their presence.
For decades, because of its majestic beauty, the great blue Heron has often been used in arts and literature such as Where the Crawdads Sing 1st Edition to symbolize poise, grace, and spirituality. The bird’s graceful form that brings a sense of balance, strength, and peace to the beholder has intrigued various artists, painters, and sculptors for centuries. One of the most famous examples of such paintings is the one created by John James Audubon, named “Great Blue Heron” in 1821 as part of the famous “Birds of America” series. The oil painting is an awe-inspiring portrait of America’s blue heron in its lush, marsh-like habitat which symbolizes the beauty and warmth often associated with the Blue Heron in general.
Great Blue Heron in the Lake Swimming:
Just like paintings, the Great Blue Heron has been used as an important symbol in pop music as well. Levine’s album “Blue Heron” documents his quest for meaning. During this quest, they had a few accidental meetings with a great blue heron, which taught them to embrace chance as a means of creative expression and to accept its symbolism as a metaphor for comprehending their work and the wider world. The initial meeting that inspired Levine to step outside of their mind and incorporate the wider picture more fully into their work is symbolized by the phrase, “There’s so much life happening outside of their head and that’s grounding to remember”. The “Great Blue Heron in the Lake Swimming” with wings wide open, ready to take flight also signifies the power of music, nature, and friendship. While Blue Heron picks at the meaning’s threads and seeks to make sense of the world, it is a work that, in the end, only achieves fulfillment in total submission to powers beyond one’s control. With a wonderful curiosity, it welcomes accident, coincidence, and fate and finally discovers significance in everything’s unpredictability.
Patient, Standing Along, Solitary Hunter:
Along with other forms of art, literature has also borrowed a lot from nature and has used various animals, birds, or other creatures as symbols to highlight various themes or underlying issues in society. For a long time, various writers have used eagles to show resilience, strength, and power. For example, “The Eagle” by Alfred Lord Tennyson is a powerful poem that captures the majesty and strength of the majestic bird, inspiring readers to reach for the heights of their potential. To show the power of the Eagle, he writes, “He clasps the crag with crooked hands; Close to the sun in lonely lands’ Ring’d with the azure world, he stands”.
Cabral, a literary critic, in her article in 2018, analyzed the symbols used in modern fictional novels and noticed that modern writers have started using less intimidating birds such as Heron to show that they can be powerful as well. He found that Sarah Orne Jewett has used “the white Heron” in her novel White Heron “to emphasize the independence, power, and wonder of nature, which must be preserved against the destructive forces of industrialization and greed”. Similarly, in the novel Where the Crawdads Sing, although all the animals in the marsh are important to Kya, the symbol of the Great Blue Heron is the only symbol that recurs throughout the book. Owens describes this heron as a “patient, standing alone, solitary hunter” that through its strength and self-reliance mirrors Kya’s firmness, and her capability to take care of herself and stand alone against the whole world.
A Mysterious Benefactor:
The Blue Heron, for Kya in the novel Where the Crawdads Sing, acted as a mysterious benefactor amidst all the loneliness. Kya, a girl who was abandoned by her family and society, and was living alone in the marsh was never considered important or strong by others. Craving for human company, she found solace in the friendship of Tate Walker and Chase Andrews. However, unfortunately, Andrews, whom she considered a friend, was the one who tried to prey on her later in the novel. Kya during her times of crisis and abandonment, saw a beautiful blue Heron, in which she not only found a benefactor but also the courage to prey on those who want to take advantage of her. This Heron and her act of preying gave Kya the courage to stand against her oppressors and take revenge by murdering Chase Andrews. Most importantly, the feather found near the dead body of Andrews, which was taken from the eyebrow of the Heron, also hinted that Kya has finally avenged herself.
Conclusion:
The great blue Heron has been used as a symbol of courage and power in all forms of art and literature. Whether it’s a painting, a sculpture, music, or fictional literature, the heron has always attracted the attention of the audience and has intrigued them to find out the meanings hidden behind this beautiful bird. If you are also a nature lover and have an interest in finding out how various timid yet beautiful birds like herons can also symbolize something so powerful in Owens’ novel, then you should surely give it a read. Get Where the Crawdads Sing and many other best-selling novels free from SolutionInn, and dive into the world of nature and modern literature.
