Of human sentiment, imposed

I must acknowledge that I am apt to share and appreciate writings which impose a degree of human nature or sentiment on other organisms. For instance, Hardy's poem about the Darkling Thrush is both darkly romantic and anthropomorphic. Likewise, I draw a connection between the human character in Pope's "Ode to Solitude" and a wild Black-headed Pitta I once had the privilege of observing. I know it is unfair that I do this -- I think one of the reasons I do is because these writings express emotions that I relate to. I know there is an enormous chasm between the lives of humans and other organisms - the sovereign awareness and intelligence of other species is far beyond our understanding. I am too apt to relate what another organism does to myself. To be sure, I can endlessly marvel at the wildness and mysterious otherness of organisms in their own right; but is marveling at "mysterious otherness" even still drawing a comparison? Perhaps being anthropomorphic can be an expression of our yearning to know more; perhaps it is a heuristic that helps us appreciate and imagine the lives of other organisms until the distant day the veil might be lifted - if it ever comes while we inhabit the earth.