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The author uses images such as the "huge crests bear him high" and the "net of his mind" to create a tone of reverence. Man is put above all others on these huge crests, which hold him up. However, a crest is not a very strong shape, and will eventually break under the weight of man. This foreshadows his impending doom later on. The "net of his mind" is what traps the animals under his will. He uses his mind to capture animals, instead of an actual net. This is what sets man apart from the animals: his intelligence. These animals "cling to cover," but they cannot escape the power of man. Even the "wildly-maned" horses, being strong-willed and independent, are under man's rule. Man can survive the "arrows of snow" and the "spears of winter rain," but not the "wind of death." He can battle all of the physical forces that oppose him, but when the gentle breeze of death comes to take him away, there is nothing he can do about it. This shifts the tone from one of reverence to one of sorrow. The reader feels sorry for the newfound weakness of man, the only thing that he cannot conquer. He has all of the attributes of a god except for this. |
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