Author: Oliver Wendell Holmes

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Anniversary Of The Berkshire Agricultural Society, October 4, 1849

    Clear the brown path, to meet his coulter's gleam!
    Lo! on he comes, behind his smoking team,
    With toil's bright dew-drops on his sunburnt brow,
    The lord of earth, the hero of the plough!

    First in the field before the reddening sun,
    Last in the shadows when the day is done,
    Line after line, along the bursting sod,
    Marks the broad acres where his feet have trod;
    Still, where he treads, the stubborn clods divide,
    The smooth, fresh furrow opens deep and wide;
    Matted and dense the tangled turf upheaves,
    Mellow and dark the ridgy cornfield cleaves;
    Up the steep hillside, where the laboring train
    Slants the long track that scores the level plain;
    Through the moist valley, clogged with oozing clay,
    The patient convoy breaks its destined way;
    At every turn the loosening chains resound,
    The swinging ploughshare circles glistening round,
    Till the wide field one billowy waste appears,
    And wearied hands unbind the panting steers.

    These are the hands whose sturdy labor brings
    The peasant's food, the golden pomp of kings;
    This is the page, whose letters shall be seen
    Changed by the sun to words of living green;
    This is the scholar, whose immortal pen
    Spells the first lesson hunger taught to men;
    These are the lines which heaven-commanded Toil
    Shows on his deed, - the charter of the soil.

    O gracious Mother, whose benignant breast
    Wakes us to life, and lulls us all to rest,
    How thy sweet features, kind to every clime,
    Mock with their smile the wrinkled front of time
    We stain thy flowers, - they blossom o'er the dead;
    We rend thy bosom, and it gives us bread;
    O'er the red field that trampling strife has torn,
    Waves the green plumage of thy tasselled corn;
    Our maddening conflicts sear thy fairest plain,
    Still thy soft answer is the growing grain.
    Yet, O our Mother, while uncounted charms
    Steal round our hearts in thine embracing arms,
    Let not our virtues in thy love decay,
    And thy fond sweetness waste our strength away.

    No! by these hills, whose banners now displayed
    In blazing cohorts Autumn has arrayed;
    By yon twin summits, on whose splintery crests
    The tossing hemlocks hold the eagles' nests;
    By these fair plains the mountain circle screens,
    And feeds with streamlets from its dark ravines,
    True to their home, these faithful arms shall toil
    To crown with peace their own untainted soil;
    And, true to God, to freedom, to mankind,
    If her chained bandogs Faction shall unbind,
    These stately forms, that bending even now
    Bowed their strong manhood to the humble plough,
    Shall rise erect, the guardians of the land,
    The same stern iron in the same right hand,
    Till o'er their hills the shouts of triumph run,
    The sword has rescued what the ploughshare won!

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Type of Poem: Narrative Poem

Date Written:

Date Published:

Language: English

Keywords: Public Domain

Source: Public Domain Collection

Publisher:

Rights/Permissions: Public Domain

Comments/Notes: The poem is a poignant tribute to the honest, hardworking farmer, and a reflection on human interaction with nature. It begins with a vivid depiction of a farmer at work, capturing not just the physical labor involved but the nobility and heroism in it. The farmer is described as 'the lord of earth, the hero of the plough,' illustrating the essential role of farmers in providing sustenance and shaping the landscape.

There is a strong theme of respect for the land, portrayed as a benevolent mother, and the reciprocity of human and nature. Nature is presented as generous and forgiving, despite human exploitation. This is seen in lines such as 'We stain thy flowers, - they blossom o'er the dead; We rend thy bosom, and it gives us bread.' These lines emphasize the incredible resilience and regenerative power of the earth.

The tone is reverent and awe-inspired, acknowledging the farmer's role in sustaining society and the land's role in sustaining life. The poem also ends on a note of triumph, as the farmer, initially bending to the plough, rises as the 'guardians of the land.'

The structure, a series of quatrains, lends a steady rhythm to the poem, echoing the consistency of the farmer's labor. Descriptive imagery and personification are prevalent, enriching the poem's sensory experience and emotional resonance. The use of apostrophe (addressing an absent or nonhuman entity) creates an intimate conversation with nature, adding depth to the theme of interconnectedness.

Overall, this poem is a powerful homage to the laborer and the land, exploring the relationship between humanity and the natural world with reverence and appreciation.