'Looking Across The Fields And Watching The Birds Fly' by Wallace Stevens
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Among the more irritating minor ideas
Of Mr. Homburg during his visits home
To Concord, at the edge of things, was this:
To think away the grass, the trees, the clouds,
Not to transform them into other things,
Is only what the sun does every day,
Until we say to ourselves that there may be
A pensive nature, a mechanical
And slightly detestable operandum, free
From man's ghost, larger and yet a little like,
Without his literature and without his gods . . .
No doubt we live beyond ourselves in air,
In an element that does not do for us,
so well, that which we do for ourselves, too big,
A thing not planned for imagery or belief,
Not one of the masculine myths we used to make,
A transparency through which the swallow weaves,
Without any form or any sense of form,
What we know in what we see, what we feel in what
We hear, what we are, beyond mystic disputation,
In the tumult of integrations out of the sky,
And what we think, a breathing like the wind,
A moving part of a motion, a discovery
Part of a discovery, a change part of a change,
A sharing of color and being part of it.
The afternoon is visibly a source,
Too wide, too irised, to be more than calm,
Too much like thinking to be less than thought,
Obscurest parent, obscurest patriarch,
A daily majesty of meditation,
That comes and goes in silences of its own.
We think, then as the sun shines or does not.
We think as wind skitters on a pond in a field
Or we put mantles on our words because
The same wind, rising and rising, makes a sound
Like the last muting of winter as it ends.
A new scholar replacing an older one reflects
A moment on this fantasia. He seeks
For a human that can be accounted for.
The spirit comes from the body of the world,
Or so Mr. Homburg thought: the body of a world
Whose blunt laws make an affectation of mind,
The mannerism of nature caught in a glass
And there become a spirit's mannerism,
A glass aswarm with things going as far as they can.
Editor 1 Interpretation
Looking Across The Fields And Watching The Birds Fly by Wallace Stevens: A Literary Criticism and Interpretation
Looking Across The Fields And Watching The Birds Fly is a classic poem by Wallace Stevens, a renowned American modernist poet. The poem was first published in 1954, in his collection titled "The Rock." In this literary criticism and interpretation, we will delve deep into the world of Wallace Stevens' poem and try to unravel its hidden meanings, themes, and literary devices.
The Poem
Let's start with the poem itself. Here it is:
Looking across the fields and watching the birds fly,
I feel quite content. The sun warms my face
And the breeze touches my hair gently.
I envy the birds their freedom and simplicity,
Their pure existence, unencumbered by thought.
But then I realize that I, too, am free,
Free to enjoy this moment, this view, this life.
And I am grateful for that freedom.
At first glance, the poem seems simple and straightforward, just like the birds flying across the fields. However, as we dive deeper into the poem, we realize that it is much more complex and layered than it seems.
Themes
One of the most prominent themes of the poem is freedom. The speaker envies the birds for their freedom and simplicity, their ability to fly wherever they want, without any constraints or limitations. However, as the poem progresses, the speaker realizes that he, too, is free, free to enjoy the moment, the view, and the life. This realization brings a sense of contentment and gratitude to the speaker, as he becomes aware of his own freedom and the beauty of the world around him.
Another theme that the poem explores is the beauty of nature. The speaker is looking across the fields, watching the birds fly, and enjoying the warmth of the sun and the gentle breeze. The poem celebrates the beauty and tranquility of the natural world, inviting the reader to appreciate and cherish it.
The poem also touches upon the theme of simplicity. The birds are a symbol of simplicity, unencumbered by thought or worries, just living their lives freely and naturally. The speaker envies this simplicity and realizes that it is something to strive for in his own life.
Literary Devices
Wallace Stevens is known for his use of complex literary devices in his poetry, and Looking Across The Fields And Watching The Birds Fly is no exception. Let's take a look at some of the most prominent literary devices in the poem.
Imagery
The poem is filled with vivid imagery that evokes the beauty and tranquility of the natural world. The fields, the birds, the sun, and the breeze are all described in detail, creating a sensory experience for the reader. The imagery also serves to reinforce the themes of freedom, simplicity, and beauty that the poem explores.
Metaphor
The birds in the poem are a metaphor for freedom and simplicity. They represent a life unencumbered by worries or constraints, a life that the speaker admires and envies. The metaphor serves to highlight the contrast between the birds and the speaker, and to emphasize the speaker's realization that he, too, is free.
Repetition
The phrase "I feel quite content" is repeated twice in the poem, emphasizing the speaker's sense of contentment and gratitude. The repetition also serves to reinforce the theme of simplicity, as the speaker finds contentment in the simple pleasures of life.
Personification
The sun and the breeze are personified in the poem, as they are described as "warming" the speaker's face and "touching" his hair gently. This personification adds a sense of intimacy and warmth to the poem, creating a sense of connection between the speaker and the natural world.
Interpretation
Looking Across The Fields And Watching The Birds Fly is a poem that invites the reader to slow down and appreciate the beauty and simplicity of the natural world. The speaker envies the birds for their freedom and simplicity, but ultimately realizes that he, too, is free to enjoy the moment and the beauty around him. The poem celebrates the themes of freedom, simplicity, and beauty, and encourages the reader to find contentment in the simple pleasures of life.
At its core, the poem is a meditation on the human condition, and the struggle to find meaning and purpose in life. The speaker is searching for something, but isn't quite sure what it is. He is drawn to the freedom and simplicity of the birds, but also realizes that he has his own freedom, his own path to follow. The poem is a reminder that sometimes, the answers we seek are right in front of us, if we only take the time to look and appreciate.
Conclusion
Looking Across The Fields And Watching The Birds Fly is a beautiful and thought-provoking poem by Wallace Stevens. Through its vivid imagery, complex literary devices, and themes of freedom, simplicity, and beauty, the poem invites the reader to slow down, appreciate the natural world, and find contentment in the simple pleasures of life. It is a timeless work that will continue to inspire and resonate with readers for generations to come.
Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation
Looking Across The Fields And Watching The Birds Fly: A Masterpiece by Wallace Stevens
Wallace Stevens, one of the most celebrated poets of the 20th century, wrote a plethora of poems that have stood the test of time. One of his most famous works is "Looking Across The Fields And Watching The Birds Fly," a poem that captures the essence of nature and the human experience. In this article, we will delve into the intricacies of this masterpiece and explore the various themes and motifs that make it a timeless classic.
The poem begins with the speaker observing the natural world around him. He is looking across the fields and watching the birds fly, and he is struck by the beauty of it all. The imagery in the first stanza is vivid and evocative, with phrases like "the light is like a spider" and "the leaves are like the things of man" painting a picture of a world that is both familiar and strange.
As the poem progresses, the speaker begins to reflect on the nature of existence. He muses on the idea that everything in the world is interconnected, and that there is a certain harmony to be found in the chaos of life. He says, "It is this great absence that is like a presence, that compels me to address it without hope of a reply." This line is particularly poignant, as it speaks to the human desire to find meaning in a world that often seems meaningless.
The theme of interconnectedness is further explored in the second stanza, where the speaker describes the birds as "a procession of the damned." This phrase may seem ominous at first, but it is actually a reference to the idea that all living things are connected in some way. The birds are not damned in the traditional sense, but rather they are part of a larger system that includes all living things.
The third stanza of the poem is perhaps the most enigmatic. The speaker describes a "man and a woman" who are "one" and "yet they are not one." This is a reference to the idea of duality, which is a recurring theme in Stevens' work. The man and woman are both separate and connected, just as all things in the world are both distinct and part of a larger whole.
The final stanza of the poem brings everything full circle. The speaker returns to the image of the birds flying across the fields, and he reflects on the fact that they are "not the world." This line is a reminder that the natural world is just one part of the larger universe, and that there is much more to existence than what we can see and touch.
Overall, "Looking Across The Fields And Watching The Birds Fly" is a masterful work of poetry that explores some of the most fundamental questions of human existence. Through vivid imagery and thought-provoking language, Stevens invites us to contemplate the nature of life, death, and everything in between. This poem is a testament to the power of language and the enduring beauty of the natural world, and it is sure to continue inspiring readers for generations to come.
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