Joseph Wood Krutch:
(November 25, 1893 – May 22, 1970).
American author, critic, and naturalist who wrote nature books on the American Southwest. He is known for developing a pantheistic philosophy.
August creates as she slumbers, replete and satisfied.
> In August, nature appears slow, warm, and sleepy, but meanwhile, growth, ripening, and creation are still taking place.
August is personified here in a feminine way:
as a satiated, contented woman dozing or slumbering. On the surface, everything seems languid and quiet — the heat of late summer, the rest following the explosive growth of spring and early summer — but meanwhile, fruits, seeds, and crops are ripening. The month is therefore not dead or passive, but ‘quietly productive’.
📚 Author and source:
– Joseph Wood Krutch — 1893–1970
– American writer, literary critic, essayist, and natural philosopher
– Known for his contemplative texts on nature, seasons, and human consciousness
The source often associated with this statement is his book on seasons:
> Joseph Wood Krutch, “The Twelve Seasons: A Perpetual Calendar for the Country”, 1949.
In it, Krutch describes the various periods of the year in a poetic and natural-philosophical manner. The sentence clearly fits his style: observational, lyrical, and focused on the hidden life of nature.
February, now more than ever, one must remind oneself that it is wasteful folly to wish that time would pass, or, as the puritanical old saying used to have it, ‘To kill time until it kills you.’
Original wording (meaning) 📝: In English, Krutch puts it something like: In February, more than ever, we must remind ourselves that it is wasteful folly to wish time away—or, as the old Puritan saying has it, ‘killing time until it kills you.’ The Dutch version faithfully reproduces the meaning. 🇳🇱👍 About the author ✍️: Joseph Wood Krutch was an American essayist, literary critic, and natural philosopher. Known for accessible, reflective nature essays (e.g. The Desert Year; The Measure of Man) that connect ethical and existential questions with the seasons and landscape. 🌿 Additional notes 🔎: The phrase killing time until it kills you is often quoted alone and sometimes attributed; in the context of February, however, the passage is characteristic of Krutch. Page numbers may vary by edition; it appears in the chapter “February” of The Twelve Seasons (1949).
