Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, FARMING, by WALT MASON


Poetry Explorer

Classic and Contemporary Poetry

FARMING, by                     Poet's Biography
First Line: The farmer drives his team afield, and
Last Line: Things like these, he fails to smile and sing.
Subject(s): Farm Life; Prairies; Agriculture; Farmers; Plains


THE farmer drives his team afield, and whistles as he goes. 'Twas thus some
bygone poet spieled, of things no poet knows. Few poets ever pushed a mule
across a rocky farm, or, laboring with rusty tool, disabled back and arm. Burns

was the only farmer bard I can remember now; and he believed the life too hard,

and gladly soaked his plow. I've never heard a farmer lift his voice in ardent
song, except when, at the noonday shift, he heard the dinner gong. I used to
drag my weary bones the furrowed field along, and I put up a thousand groans,
where I turned loose one song. The farmer has so much to do, before the day
takes wing, so many errands to pursue, he has no time to sing. He only whistles

now and then, when he would call the dog, to chase from out the corn again, some

stray, bone-headed hog. His eyes are fixed upon the sky, to note the weather
signs, for rain will rust his growing rye, and spoil his pumpkin vines; and
drouth will kill the beans and peas he planted in the spring; and, thinking over

things like these, he fails to smile and sing.





Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!


Other Poems of Interest...
Home: PoetryExplorer.net