Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"Harvest Home" by Howard Nemerov is a reflective and vivid poem that captures the essence of autumn and the profound stillness and transition it brings. Through rich imagery and contemplative language, Nemerov explores themes of time, nature, and the cyclical patterns of life.

The poem begins by placing the reader in the midst of a fall field, invoking a powerful sense of time and place: "To stand on the long field in fall / To feel the silence of the sun / Bending the earth toward afternoon." This sets a scene of late afternoon, where the sun's angle creates a heavy, almost palpable silence. The bending of the earth towards afternoon suggests a gradual transition, emphasizing the slow passage of time.

Nemerov then introduces a sense of suspended motion and tension: "So hot and mute the human will / As though the angry wheel stood still." The "angry wheel" evokes the relentless passage of time and the struggles of life, which momentarily seem to pause. The imagery of the wheel "hub and spoke and iron rim" implies the machinery of both human endeavor and the natural world, momentarily halted.

The poem continues with a vivid depiction of decay and transformation: "Might fall, might burn away in air / And rot in earth before the ear / Had lost the last, grinding scream." Here, Nemerov suggests the inevitable breakdown and return to the earth, a cycle of destruction and rebirth. The "grinding scream" symbolizes the harshness of time's passage and the fleeting nature of life.

This moment of stillness is described as a "snare / For time to pull from and be torn / Screaming against the rusty brake." The use of "snare" and "rusty brake" evokes the struggle against the inevitable progression of time, highlighting the tension between motion and stillness.

The sudden movement of crows disrupts this stillness: "Until four crows arise and shake / Their heavy wings across the way, / Four shadows dragging on the shorn / Beard of the field, on the baled hay." The crows' flight reintroduces motion and life into the scene, their shadows emphasizing the starkness of the harvested field.

As the afternoon progresses, Nemerov captures the ceremonial nature of the day's end: "So afternoon resumes its slow / And ancient ceremonious bow / Down to the field and so beyond / The gate, the houses and the pond." The personification of the afternoon bowing down suggests a respectful acknowledgment of the day's end and the transition into evening.

The poem then extends its focus beyond the immediate scene: "Out where the tracks run west and trains / Cry out, leaning in the long curve / Away, away." The imagery of trains moving westward signifies the onward flow of time and the constant movement towards new horizons. The sounds of the owl and the jay add to the sense of time passing, marking the transition from night to day.

Nemerov concludes with a reflection on the resilience of life and the persistence of the human spirit: "All tendrils of the lonely nerve / Stand out in sunlight, and will serve." This final line suggests that despite the passage of time and the cycles of decay and rebirth, there remains a tenacity and purpose in existence, symbolized by the tendrils reaching out and enduring.

"Harvest Home" by Howard Nemerov masterfully captures the essence of autumn and the deep, reflective stillness it brings. Through its rich imagery and contemplative tone, the poem invites readers to consider the cycles of nature, the passage of time, and the enduring spirit of life amidst change and decay.

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