I'm glad drummerinthesun made the point about the John Donne poem- I was going to say exactly that.
The sonnets are my favorite parts of the Alchemy index, partly because of the musicality (I'm a music student, so bear with me if I tend to veer off in that direction) and partly because of the amazing dexterity with which these guys write their lyrics. Sonnets, of course, are among the more restrictive poetic forms, so to be able to write them so proficiently is very impressive.
That said, I'd like to comment about some of your comments, most of which are very interesting. I will admit that, as a relatively nonreligious person, I would like to hear a few more ideas that are not so wholly biblical; though I do agree that there are biblical references, I (personally) don't view the whole song as being a retelling of any particular Bible story. Obviously, there are references to the stories of Adam and Eve, and probably the Prodigal Son (though the song does in fact use the word "prodigal," they could simply have the CONCEPT of a prodigal son- that is, someone who spends the wealth they have, only to have to rely on someone else). Though it is mentioned that the title comes from a book title, it's possible that title originally came from the "ashes to ashes" passage as well.
However, and bear in mind that this is just my opinion, I believe this to be more of a remonstrance by Mother Nature to man than one from God. Given that the other sonnets are written from the points of view of the respective elements about which they are written, I think it makes most sense that this would be, too; Mother Earth is simply an incarnation of sorts of the element earth. Moreover, it would make sense (artistically) for them to depict earth in such a nurturing sort of role, as air is depicted similarly, and air and earth, traditionally, are opposites, in the same way that fire and water are.
I see the line "supplied you not your spirit but your shape" as more evidence that this is in fact from earth's point of view; since earth (along with the other elements) is traditionally rooted (no pun intended) to the physical aspect of life; I suppose that, were this from God's perspective, he wouldn't be saying that he didn't supply man's spirit. Obviously, the references to Eden could be about Adam and Eve, but in more general terms, it could refer to the fact that mankind is no longer simply content with nature and its bounty, but is working more and more toward subjugating nature and making it work to our gain.
This is echoed in the second stanza, looking at this from a parental aspect. "Though I only ever gave you love" could be intended more as a metaphor again regarding nature's bounties, and man's "rebellion" by destroying forests, polluting the waters, and poisoning the skies. Furthermore, the next two lines could be referring to our wars by saying that the only thing we're really giving back are the pools of blood (again, possibly a metaphor) from our constant warring. The reference to the Donne poem (which has already been quoted, so I won't do it again) suggests the sense of connectivity, which is also mentioned in the whole "dust to dust" idea; that is, we should consider being careful what we put in the earth, as we'll end up there someday too. Moreover, it could also be a general warning against such constant war, as, again with the connectivity, all life is connected, and the death of one affects many others (see the Butterfly Affect- though perhaps not the movie).
This is an easy lead-in for the next stanza: every life will eventually end, and we will be returned to the earth, from which all life came. This again could be an indirect suggestion that we should be careful what we do with the earth while we live. This stanza (in its last two lines) suggests that the only time mankind will truly know peace is when we are dead and returned to the earth. This could be viewed religiously or secularly, but they are effectively the same: death brings relief from the pains of this life, whether one believes in heaven or not. More specifically, to that regard, the line "For every seed must die before it grows" is, in my opinion, a metaphor of reincarnation, which is present in nearly every religion in some form or another; though most people tend to associate reincarnation in its most literal sense with Eastern religions or with "New Age" philosophies, the ideas of heaven and hell in most western religions are, in fact, also an example of this idea. I think this particular line is best left up to each individual person, as it seems to be one of few lines, if not the only one, that is simply a religious one. (Though several others contain lines that could be (or most certainly are) biblical references, none of them are strictly religious; after all, referring simply to the bible is not inherently Christian, as the Bible can be viewed as simply a book...though I mean no offense to any Christians; I was raised as one).
The final couplet most strongly emphasizes the idea that with death comes peace. The word "safe" in particular suggests this, especially with the somewhat sardonic use of the word "wisdom;" in this case, "wisdom" seems to imply exactly the opposite, that it is, in fact, the "wisdom" of mankind that causes many of the problems in the world. Pair with this, also, the traditional aspect of earth (in the ancient alchemical, as well as traditional astrological ideas) as being steady and calm, the speaker (which I am almost certain is the earth itself) is most likely suggesting that, far from frightening and tragic, death is the safest, most peaceful part of life. While this may seem depressing and maybe a little unsettling (underscored by the somewhat macabre effect of the soil being poured onto the box with the microphone) I still see it as a somewhat uplifting note at the end of a rather mournful song. That is, though the earth is lamenting the fact that mankind is destroying and that they don't think about the fact that they are part of it, they will eventually find the peace, in death, that they seem so unable to find in life.
Again, these are simply my views on this song. I'm a bit of a tree-hugger (though to be fair, Thrice are too, to an extent) and I see these sonnets more as a cry for mankind to respect nature rather than subjugate it. One of the things I like most about the arts is that meaning lies in the eye/ear of the beholder, so while Thrice may have meant something in particular with any given song, no interpretation is wrong.
I'm glad drummerinthesun made the point about the John Donne poem- I was going to say exactly that.
The sonnets are my favorite parts of the Alchemy index, partly because of the musicality (I'm a music student, so bear with me if I tend to veer off in that direction) and partly because of the amazing dexterity with which these guys write their lyrics. Sonnets, of course, are among the more restrictive poetic forms, so to be able to write them so proficiently is very impressive.
That said, I'd like to comment about some of your comments, most of which are very interesting. I will admit that, as a relatively nonreligious person, I would like to hear a few more ideas that are not so wholly biblical; though I do agree that there are biblical references, I (personally) don't view the whole song as being a retelling of any particular Bible story. Obviously, there are references to the stories of Adam and Eve, and probably the Prodigal Son (though the song does in fact use the word "prodigal," they could simply have the CONCEPT of a prodigal son- that is, someone who spends the wealth they have, only to have to rely on someone else). Though it is mentioned that the title comes from a book title, it's possible that title originally came from the "ashes to ashes" passage as well.
However, and bear in mind that this is just my opinion, I believe this to be more of a remonstrance by Mother Nature to man than one from God. Given that the other sonnets are written from the points of view of the respective elements about which they are written, I think it makes most sense that this would be, too; Mother Earth is simply an incarnation of sorts of the element earth. Moreover, it would make sense (artistically) for them to depict earth in such a nurturing sort of role, as air is depicted similarly, and air and earth, traditionally, are opposites, in the same way that fire and water are.
I see the line "supplied you not your spirit but your shape" as more evidence that this is in fact from earth's point of view; since earth (along with the other elements) is traditionally rooted (no pun intended) to the physical aspect of life; I suppose that, were this from God's perspective, he wouldn't be saying that he didn't supply man's spirit. Obviously, the references to Eden could be about Adam and Eve, but in more general terms, it could refer to the fact that mankind is no longer simply content with nature and its bounty, but is working more and more toward subjugating nature and making it work to our gain.
This is echoed in the second stanza, looking at this from a parental aspect. "Though I only ever gave you love" could be intended more as a metaphor again regarding nature's bounties, and man's "rebellion" by destroying forests, polluting the waters, and poisoning the skies. Furthermore, the next two lines could be referring to our wars by saying that the only thing we're really giving back are the pools of blood (again, possibly a metaphor) from our constant warring. The reference to the Donne poem (which has already been quoted, so I won't do it again) suggests the sense of connectivity, which is also mentioned in the whole "dust to dust" idea; that is, we should consider being careful what we put in the earth, as we'll end up there someday too. Moreover, it could also be a general warning against such constant war, as, again with the connectivity, all life is connected, and the death of one affects many others (see the Butterfly Affect- though perhaps not the movie).
This is an easy lead-in for the next stanza: every life will eventually end, and we will be returned to the earth, from which all life came. This again could be an indirect suggestion that we should be careful what we do with the earth while we live. This stanza (in its last two lines) suggests that the only time mankind will truly know peace is when we are dead and returned to the earth. This could be viewed religiously or secularly, but they are effectively the same: death brings relief from the pains of this life, whether one believes in heaven or not. More specifically, to that regard, the line "For every seed must die before it grows" is, in my opinion, a metaphor of reincarnation, which is present in nearly every religion in some form or another; though most people tend to associate reincarnation in its most literal sense with Eastern religions or with "New Age" philosophies, the ideas of heaven and hell in most western religions are, in fact, also an example of this idea. I think this particular line is best left up to each individual person, as it seems to be one of few lines, if not the only one, that is simply a religious one. (Though several others contain lines that could be (or most certainly are) biblical references, none of them are strictly religious; after all, referring simply to the bible is not inherently Christian, as the Bible can be viewed as simply a book...though I mean no offense to any Christians; I was raised as one).
The final couplet most strongly emphasizes the idea that with death comes peace. The word "safe" in particular suggests this, especially with the somewhat sardonic use of the word "wisdom;" in this case, "wisdom" seems to imply exactly the opposite, that it is, in fact, the "wisdom" of mankind that causes many of the problems in the world. Pair with this, also, the traditional aspect of earth (in the ancient alchemical, as well as traditional astrological ideas) as being steady and calm, the speaker (which I am almost certain is the earth itself) is most likely suggesting that, far from frightening and tragic, death is the safest, most peaceful part of life. While this may seem depressing and maybe a little unsettling (underscored by the somewhat macabre effect of the soil being poured onto the box with the microphone) I still see it as a somewhat uplifting note at the end of a rather mournful song. That is, though the earth is lamenting the fact that mankind is destroying and that they don't think about the fact that they are part of it, they will eventually find the peace, in death, that they seem so unable to find in life.
Again, these are simply my views on this song. I'm a bit of a tree-hugger (though to be fair, Thrice are too, to an extent) and I see these sonnets more as a cry for mankind to respect nature rather than subjugate it. One of the things I like most about the arts is that meaning lies in the eye/ear of the beholder, so while Thrice may have meant something in particular with any given song, no interpretation is wrong.