Summer Farm analysis- Gautam Mathur

by igcsesbs

When we look at the title of this poem for the first time, we think that the poem would be a describing a farm in summertime.

The poet uses some very interesting words and phrases. The poem seems to be about a farm only till the end of the second stanza.

The first stanza is the first of a two stanza description of a farm. The poet describes the straw in the farm as “tamed lightning”. By this phrase, he describes the straw as lightning that is defused and inactive. We can say this because it is not in the sky, but is “hanging zigzag on the hedges”. Zigzag indicates that the shape of the straw is also somewhat like lightning, as lightning is never straight.

Another very interesting phrase the poet uses is “green as glass”. This phrase could mean water with algae in it, but I was confused with why the poet would use glass to describe the colour green. The poet might be referring to the tainted green glass sometimes used for making bottles.

The second stanza continues with the description of the farm. “A hen stares at nothing with one eye and then picks it up.” This means that the hen is randomly and aimlessly pecking at the ground. A swallow flies in, “flickering through the barn”. The word “flicker” also suggests aimless movements. Just like a light bulb, which fluctuates between on and off when it flickers, the sparrow does not roam in a particular direction.

Another interesting phrase the poet uses is “dives up”. Normally, the word ‘dive’ is used as a downward movement. The poet might be using this phrase to catch the reader’s attention. The word dive also stands out because it is the only phrase which depicts a fast movement, which contrasts to the lazy and relaxed atmosphere that the poet is trying to create.

 

As the third stanza begins, the poet starts describing his own state of mind, and himself. The first few lines of this stanza describe where he is, and what he is doing. He is “afraid of where a thought might take him.” This might mean that he is afraid of thinking about something bad that might have happened in the past. He then compares himself to a grasshopper, who “unfolds his legs and finds himself in space.” The poet is afraid of unfolding his thoughts, just like the grasshopper unfolds his legs, to find that space.

 

The last stanza is where we find out the meaning of the poem. The poet continues talking about himself. He tells us that he is standing on a “pile of selves”. With this phrase, the poet tells us that his personality keeps changing, or that he has many personalities. He also says that they are “threaded over time”. By this he means that time has acted like a thread, sewing together all of these personalities into one person. The poet then tells us to “lift the farm like a lid”. And see that there is a farm within a farm , and him in the center. 

We now know that the farms are a metaphor for the different personalities. By this, we know that the title refers to a personality he is stuck in, and the “summer farm” is not the personality he is anymore, but he is afraid to find out who he is now, or to rediscover himself.

The rhyme scheme of this poem is aa bb (grass-glass, shines-lines). This is a simple and straightforward rhyme scheme. This shows that this poem is very well thought out, and the poet’s thoughts are very organized.

The tone of this poem is conversational, and reflective at the end. Both of these tones help the poet express his thoughts properly.

A lot of people can relate to this poem, as many people are confused about who they really are, and are lost between many personalities. The question “who am I?” is a question many people ask themselves at different stages of life.

I found this poem very interesting, because the last two stanzas are unexpected, and the reader does not know where the poem is going by the end of the second stanza.

Another interesting thing about this poem is the contrast between the vivid description of the summer farm and the fact that he is not able to describe himself. This emphasizes on the fact that the poet doesn’t know who he is.

The reflective tone of the poem makes the reader think about his/her identity. This is the objective of the poem.