Great reading of a great poem!

The "farm scene", hmmm. What about the American work ethic?
So much depends upon the working of the land? You mentioned
red and white - how about blue from the rain? (Water =
blue ... might be a stretch) That would give us red, white &
blue. Something to think about!

I also like the way the poem's shape reflects the "depends
upon" statement. If you look at the sentences, they are
*precariously* balanced, one upon the next - forms
compliments meaning. While not quite a concrete poem, it
does look a bit like a wheelbarrow on it's side!

I'm glad you posted this; I haven't thought about this poem
in awhile - so much packed into such a *small* poem.

On 10/30/09, L. Swilley wrote:
> This poem has two major parts: the line, "So much depends
> upon" and the rest of the lines.
>
> As in analyzing other works of literature, changing the
> words here and there brings us to realize the force and
> meaning of the original terms. For example, the wheel
> barrow is "glazed with rain water." Suppose it had said
> instead, "soaked with tap water". As a result of the
> contrasts, "glazed" now stands out as suggesting
> improvement, and "rain water" now identifies itself as
> something natural - tugging, as it were, the mechanical
> (man-made?) wheel barrow into a closer union with the
> natural, living chicken.
>
> Now the wheel barrow is red and the chickens are white.
> Putting aside for the moment that wheel barrows are usually
> red, yet the color red is vibrant, suggesting something
> living; whereas the living, white chickens look bloodless,
> lifeless. Have we not here a further attempt to bring the
> two figures, wheel barrow and chickens, together, each
> taking on some quality of the other?
>
> And that "beside" indicating companionship.
>
> Now what could be meant by the remark that "so much depends
> upon" these exchanges as we have seen them above? Should we
> not conclude that the poem asserts the need for the man-
> made and the natural(the living) to be compatible,
> companionable?
>
> Frank Lloyd Wright, that architect whose buildings were
> designed to blend in with the surrounding environment, must
> have loved this poem!
>
> And now, the obvious *farm scene*. What shall we make of
> that?
>
> L. Swilley

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