Summary
Orwell describes the emergence from hibernation of the common toad and its procreative cycle - offering it as an alternative to the skylark and primrose as a less conventional example of the coming of spring. Orwell points out that the pleasures of spring are available to everybody and cost nothing and can be appreciated in the town as much as the country.
However Orwell is concerned with feelings in some groups that there is something reprehensible in enjoying nature. For the political discontent groaning under the capitalist system, the love of nature seems sentimental, while others seem to see the appreciation of nature as reactionary in a machine age. Orwell dismisses these ideas and argues that retaining a childhood love of nature makes a peaceful and decent future more likely.
Read more about this topic: Some Thoughts On The Common Toad
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