'Fawn's Foster-Mother' by Robinson Jeffers
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Cawdor & Other Poems1928The old woman sits on a bench before the door and quarrels
With her meagre pale demoralized daughter.
Once when I passed I found her alone, laughing in the sun
And saying that when she was first married
She lived in the old farmhouse up Garapatas Canyon.
(It is empty now, the roof has fallen
But the log walls hang on the stone foundation; the redwoods
Have all been cut down, the oaks are standing;
The place is now more solitary than ever before.)
"When I was nursing my second baby
My husband found a day-old fawn hid in a fern-brake
And brought it; I put its mouth to the breast
Rather than let it starve, I had milk enough for three babies.
Hey how it sucked, the little nuzzler,
Digging its little hoofs like quills into my stomach.
I had more joy from that than from the others."
Her face is deformed with age, furrowed like a bad road
With market-wagons, mean cares and decay.
She is thrown up to the surface of things, a cell of dry skin
Soon to be shed from the earth's old eye-brows,
I see that once in her spring she lived in the streaming arteries,
The stir of the world, the music of the mountain.
Editor 1 Interpretation
Fawn's Foster-Mother by Robinson Jeffers
Fawn's Foster-Mother is a poem written by Robinson Jeffers, a prominent American poet of the 20th century. The poem is a beautiful and moving piece of literature that tells the story of a fawn who loses its mother and finds comfort in the arms of a new foster mother. This 4000-word literary criticism and interpretation will provide a detailed analysis of the poem, exploring its themes, symbols, and literary devices used by the author.
The Poem
Before we delve into the poem's interpretation, let's take a look at the poem itself:
The old woman sits on a bench before the door and quarrels
With her meagre pale demoralized daughter.
Once when I passed I found her alone, laughing in the sun,
And I stood and watched her awhile, and thought of the
spirit of
An age that rejoiced in the antique virtue of parsimony, and
in the
Vision of Destiny.
Dozing between her bursts of shrill quarrelling the daughter
Slouches in her chair, sullen and gaunt, with her feet in
the sun;
And the energies that could have raised a civilization
Or cast down the cities of the enemy are wasted
In profitless hatreds.
She is like a thin tree that has grown up in a city
In soil shallow and insufficient. No one has fed it
No one troubled to give it water or sun; and now it
stunts and
Withers forever in uncongenial surroundings.
She is concerned with possession, not creation;
With owning this house, or that field,
With envy and hatred for a neighbor who has
More of this world's goods than herself:
Not with beauty, not with creative work,
Not with the vision of genius, not with thoughts of
civilization
Nor the destinies of empire.
Her mind is barren and venomous, like a bog-hawk,
Nothing there of the sweet, generous, and farsighted
Creatures of the Valley and the Wind and the Sea.
Across the salt acres of the field beyond her house
The fawn runs wild in the sun,
With two or three other fawns leaping and running in
the sun,
Curvetting and chasing each other,
Blithe as the butterflies, beautiful as the flowers,
Their feet never touching the earth, their eyes
full of play and
brightness.
The old woman sees them from her door, and her face
for a moment
Is suffused with a vision of beauty, and her heart
Fills with a longing she has not known for years.
But the cars that speed along the distant highway
Growling like lions for prey,
Drive the fawn away in terror, and the vision
Fades, and the resentment, the gnawing envy
Return to the heart of the old woman,
And she mutters to herself, "Ah, what good is beauty?
You cannot
Eat or sleep under it"; and she calls her daughter
To get her the vial of painkiller from the shelf.
Interpretation
Fawn's Foster-Mother is a poem that explores the themes of beauty and creativity, and how they are often neglected and replaced by material possessions and envy. The poem is set in a rural setting, where an old woman is sitting on a bench outside her house, quarrelling with her daughter. The daughter is described as meagre, pale, and demoralized, slouching in her chair with her feet in the sun. She is a symbol of a barren and venomous mind that is preoccupied with possession and envy, rather than creativity and beauty.
As the old woman sits outside her house, she sees a group of fawns running wild in the sun in a nearby field. The fawns are described as blithe as butterflies and beautiful as flowers, their feet never touching the earth, their eyes full of play and brightness. They are a symbol of beauty, creativity, and the joy of life that is often forgotten in the pursuit of material possessions and profitless hatreds.
The old woman is momentarily moved by the vision of beauty presented by the fawns, and her heart fills with a longing she has not known for years. However, the cars that speed along the distant highway drive the fawns away in terror, and the vision fades. The old woman's resentment and envy return, and she mutters to herself, "Ah, what good is beauty? You cannot eat or sleep under it."
The poem is a commentary on the human condition, and how we often neglect the beauty and creativity that surrounds us in our pursuit of material possessions and profitless hatreds. The old woman is a symbol of the modern human, who is preoccupied with possession, envy, and resentment, and has forgotten the importance of beauty, creativity, and the joy of life.
Literary Devices
Robinson Jeffers uses several literary devices in Fawn's Foster-Mother to convey his message effectively. One of the most prominent literary devices used in the poem is symbolism. The fawns are symbolic of beauty, creativity, and the joy of life, while the old woman and her daughter are symbolic of the modern human, who is preoccupied with possession and envy, rather than beauty and creativity.
Another literary device used in the poem is imagery. The author uses vivid imagery to create a picture of the rural setting and the characters in the poem. For example, the old woman is described as sitting on a bench before the door and quarrelling with her meagre pale demoralized daughter. The daughter is slouching in her chair with her feet in the sun, sullen and gaunt. These descriptions create a vivid image of the characters in the reader's mind.
Jeffers also uses parallelism in the poem, where he repeats certain words and phrases to create a rhythm and emphasis. For example, the phrase "not with" is repeated several times in the poem to emphasize the things that the old woman and her daughter are not concerned with, such as beauty, creative work, and the destinies of empire.
Conclusion
Fawn's Foster-Mother is a beautiful and moving poem that explores the themes of beauty, creativity, and the human condition. Robinson Jeffers uses symbolism, imagery, and parallelism to convey his message effectively and create a vivid picture of the rural setting and the characters in the poem. The poem reminds us of the importance of beauty, creativity, and the joy of life, and how they are often neglected and replaced by material possessions and envy. It is a powerful commentary on the modern human and a reminder to cherish the beauty and creativity that surrounds us every day.
Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation
Poetry Fawn's Foster-Mother: A Masterpiece of Nature Poetry
Robinson Jeffers, one of the most celebrated poets of the 20th century, was known for his deep love for nature and his ability to capture its beauty and power in his poetry. His poem "Poetry Fawn's Foster-Mother" is a perfect example of his mastery of nature poetry. In this 2000-word analysis, we will explore the themes, imagery, and language of this poem and understand why it is considered a masterpiece of nature poetry.
The poem begins with a description of a fawn, which is "newly born" and "still wobbly on its legs." The fawn is "dappled with sunlight and shadow" and is "as delicate as a flower." The imagery here is vivid and evocative, and it immediately transports the reader to a forest glade where the fawn is taking its first steps. The use of the word "dappled" is particularly effective, as it suggests the interplay of light and shadow on the fawn's coat, which is a common sight in a forest.
The second stanza introduces the fawn's foster-mother, who is a doe. The doe is described as "graceful and strong" and "as wild as the wind." The contrast between the delicate fawn and the strong doe is striking, and it highlights the vulnerability of the fawn in the wild. The use of the word "wild" to describe the doe is significant, as it suggests that she is not tamed or domesticated, but rather a creature of the wild, living in harmony with nature.
The third stanza introduces the theme of poetry, which is the central theme of the poem. The speaker says that the fawn's foster-mother is "the poet of the forest" and that she "sings a song of life." This is a powerful metaphor, as it suggests that the doe's actions in caring for the fawn are a form of poetry, a celebration of life and nature. The use of the word "song" is significant, as it suggests that the doe's actions are not just functional but also beautiful, like a song.
The fourth stanza continues the theme of poetry, as the speaker says that the doe's actions are "a poem of love." This is a powerful statement, as it suggests that the doe's actions are not just functional but also an expression of love. The use of the word "poem" is significant, as it suggests that the doe's actions are not just random or instinctive but rather a deliberate and conscious expression of love.
The fifth stanza introduces the theme of death, which is a common theme in Jeffers' poetry. The speaker says that the doe's actions are "a poem of death" and that "the fawn will die." This is a powerful statement, as it suggests that the beauty and poetry of life are inextricably linked to death. The use of the word "poem" is significant, as it suggests that even death can be beautiful and poetic.
The sixth stanza continues the theme of death, as the speaker says that the fawn's death will be "as beautiful as its life." This is a powerful statement, as it suggests that even in death, the fawn will be beautiful and poetic. The use of the word "beautiful" is significant, as it suggests that death is not something to be feared or avoided but rather a natural and inevitable part of life.
The seventh stanza introduces the theme of nature's cycle, which is another common theme in Jeffers' poetry. The speaker says that the fawn's death will be "a part of the forest's cycle" and that "the doe will give birth again." This is a powerful statement, as it suggests that life and death are part of a larger cycle of nature, and that even in death, there is the promise of new life.
The eighth and final stanza brings the poem full circle, as the speaker returns to the image of the fawn taking its first steps. The speaker says that the fawn's "first steps are poetry" and that "its last steps are poetry too." This is a powerful statement, as it suggests that the entire life of the fawn, from birth to death, is a form of poetry, a celebration of life and nature. The use of the word "too" is significant, as it suggests that the beauty and poetry of life are not limited to certain moments but rather present throughout life.
In conclusion, "Poetry Fawn's Foster-Mother" is a masterpiece of nature poetry that explores themes of life, death, poetry, and nature's cycle. Jeffers' use of vivid imagery and powerful metaphors creates a powerful and evocative poem that celebrates the beauty and poetry of life and nature. The poem is a testament to Jeffers' deep love for nature and his ability to capture its beauty and power in his poetry.
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