Mercy in The Wind by Stephens and Eight O'Clock by Housman Does mankind have the same characteristics as nature or simply possess a small part of nature's greatness ? Nature and humanity can be cruel in their own ways; however, humanity feels guilty for its actions, while nature does not. Both may seem beautiful at times, but nature and humanity can become ferocious destroyers when placed in certain situations. Humans often feel guilty for their actions and become merciful, while nature, on the other hand, has no mercy. The distribution of death over the human race is and always will be a major problem. The merciless effects of nature have only been temporarily blocked or prevented by humanity, but never overcome. Nature is a powerful force that constantly tramples the earth, and even the strongest and most intelligent species of mortals cannot defeat its forces. Nature has no mercy in its actions because it is a force without feeling. Humanity, on the other hand, becomes compassionate and merciful when placed in certain situations. Some might call this mercy a weakness, but in reality the mercy that human beings possess can also become a strength. To have mercy, the human race can make important decisions and plan for the consequences that follow. The poems chosen for this essay are "The Wind" by James Stephens and Eight O'Clock by A. E. Housman. Both demonstrate how nature and humans deal with the cruel pains of death and how they are distributed. “The Wind” by James Stephens is an amazing poem that demonstrates the power and authority of the wind. The wind is personified as a man and is given human attributes for better understanding. Life flows through the individual as he rises... middle of paper... shows no mercy, but in most cases the blame is retained or dispersed in some inanimate object which will calmly take the blame. Humanity and nature differ in many ways, and mercy is one of them. Nature shows no mercy. "The Wind" by James Stephens The wind rose and screamed. He whistled with his fingers and kicked the dry leaves and struck the branches with his hand and said he would kill and kill, and so he will and so he will. “Eight O’Clock” by A.E. Housman He stood and heard the bell tower spray the neighborhoods over the morning city. One, two, three, four, towards the market square and the people. He threw them down. Bound, with the noose, close to his hour, he stopped and counted them and cursed his luck; and then the clock gathered its strength in the tower, and struck.