Seeing Quote Response

Dillard, Seeing
p. #693

"But if you cultivate a healthy poverty and simplicity, so that finding a penny will literally make your day, then, since the world is in fact planted in pennies, you have with your poverty bought a lifetime of days."

This is a very meaningful quote. What it is saying is that if you make it so finding a penny makes your day, you can have a great day every day because there are pennies all over the place. In larger context, if you make the simple everyday things in life make you happy, you will always be happy, and sometimes that's all you can do.

Dillard, Seeing
p. #694

"These appearances catch at my throat; they are the free gifts, the bright coppers at the roots of trees."

She is speaking of the birds she sees flying around. What she is saying is that being able to see these birds fly is a gift of nature, and a great treasure. The bright copper may mean that there is still beauty at the bottom of the tree, or for those who experience poverty.