Gary Snider the American Poet

A spiritual man, conscious of nature and his surroundings. He recognizes good and evil, and struggles to find his own special place in the realm of all other men. He searches far and wide for places of interest , upon arrival, he hopes to find a solemn sanctuary for man and nature.

Gary Sherman Snyder, the son of Harold and Lois Snyder, was born in San Francisco, California, on May 8, 1930. The Family moved quite a few times before they settled down in Portland, Oregon, in 1942. Snyder was granted a lot of freedom at a young age, he was allowed to hike and camp on his own. At thirteen, he was allowed to explore the high country of the Cascade Mountains alone (Magill, Frank p.2668). The solitary experience turned into a fascinating relationship with nature.

Snyder began his education in Portland at Reed College where he received his B.A. in Anthropology in 1951. Later that year, he began to study linguistics and anthropology at Indiana University. Not wanting to write a dissertation to earn a Ph.D. Snyder left the University in 1952, and went to San Francisco to do odd jobs. While in San Francisco he decided he wanted to study Buddhism (Magill, Frank p.2668).

He began to prepare himself for a trip abroad by studying Oriental Culture and Languages from 1953, through 1956, at the University of California Berkeley. Snyder used his summers to work in Baker National Forest and Yosemite National Park (www.english.uiuc.edu). While working in the forests he wrote some of his most famous poetry.

In 1956, Snyder, goes to Japan on scholarship from the Firs Zen Institute of America. In Japan, he lived in the Zen Temple. A year later he began work on a tanker, as a wiper in the engine room. While on the ship Snyder continued...

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...dove.

Only in a dream, he can see her face. He hopes on day she will come to her place. The passion and love "Return to my mind, to my flesh." He pleads they had what all other want, and realizes he's a fool for not wanting to be caught.

The poet feels old now, as though he had "lived many lives." He knows its his fault for craving solemn time. The love he never knew, because the mystery of what's beyond the blue. Maybe, one day they will find each other again, then he can find out if that is what his "karma demands."

The emotions are real and the lyrics are sweat. Snyder is fascinating, and has proved he is great. He floats on a cloud somewhere hard to see, and as an eternal hippy he is world renowned.

His ideas are good but the world can not slow down. He is a man who has made a difference and is still traveling around giving conservation seminars.