The Sense of Wonder

By Rachel Carson

Photos by Charles Pratt and others

Copyright 1965

The Sense of Wonder was intended to be expanded into a longer book.  Unfortunately, Carson died before she was able to complete it.  The essay was written in 1956, but this book with accompanying photographs was published after her death.  

As much about child development as it is about conservation, this book is full of nature photos from the coast of Maine where Carson and her young nephew spent many happy hours exploring.  She begins with describing the pure joy of a toddler meeting the tumultuous ocean waves for the first time. Further observations of her nephew led her to conclude that it is nurturing that sense of wonder that is of utmost importance to a child’s education of the natural world.  Teaching the names of plants and animals or explaining the science behind the wonder of nature should be secondary. 

 

She also brings up an interesting thought stemming from an evening of stargazing.  The sight of the Milky Way, the brilliant stars, and a meteor burning through the atmosphere was so amazing.  Why wasn’t everyone outside looking at it?  “But it can be seen many scores of nights in any year, and so the lights burned in the cottages and the inhabitants probably gave not a thought to the beauty overhead; and because they could see it almost any night perhaps they will never see it.”  

There are valuable lessons to be found in The Sense of Wonder.  Let yourself be awed by our world; by the plants, trees, sky, water, animals.  And never take that world for granted.  As Carson says, “Those who contemplate the beauty of the earth find reserves of strength that will endure as long as life lasts.”