Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Donald Justice’s "My South: 3. On the Farm" is a reflection on the tension between the desire for urban life and the reality of rural existence. The poem captures the speaker’s sense of boredom and restlessness while highlighting the stark beauty and solitude of the farm. Through vivid imagery and introspective language, Justice explores themes of isolation, memory, and self-identity.

The poem begins with the speaker expressing a longing for the city: "And I, missing the city intensely at that moment, / Moped and sulked at the window." This opening line sets the tone of discontent and yearning. The speaker’s physical posture of moping and sulking conveys a sense of frustration and confinement.

The sounds of the farm, such as "the first owl, quite near," do not fully register with the speaker, indicating a disconnect from the natural environment. The "kerosene lamp / Went on sputtering, giving off vague medicinal fumes / That made me think of sickrooms" further emphasizes the speaker's discomfort and unease. The comparison of the lamp's fumes to those of sickrooms evokes a sense of illness and discomfort, deepening the speaker's dissatisfaction.

The speaker’s attempt to memorize "The Ballad of Reading Gaol" is thwarted by the harsh lamplight, which "hurt my eyes." The boredom is palpable: "And I was too bored to sleep, restless and bored." This repetition underscores the depth of the speaker’s ennui and the struggle to find solace or distraction.

Justice then shifts to a future perspective, imagining a time when the speaker will look back on these evenings with a different understanding: "Years later, / Perhaps, I will recall the evenings, empty and vast." This future reflection acknowledges the emptiness the speaker feels but suggests a potential change in perception over time.

The poem captures a private and somewhat rebellious moment: "Under the first stars, there by the back gate, secretly, I / Would relieve myself on the shamed and drooping hollyhocks." This act of defiance and secret relief provides a brief escape from the speaker's boredom and a way to exert control over his environment.

The speaker's yawn and the return of "the old dream of being a changeling" reveal a deep-seated desire to be different or elsewhere. This dream of transformation or escape ties into the sense of not belonging and the search for a different identity.

The owl's cry resonates with the speaker: "I felt myself like the owl – alone, proud, / Almost invisible." This identification with the owl highlights the speaker's sense of isolation and pride in solitude. The comparison to "some hero in Homer / Protected by a cloud let down by the gods to save him" elevates the speaker's feeling of detachment to a heroic and almost mythic level, suggesting a complex interplay between vulnerability and imagined grandeur.

"My South: 3. On the Farm" by Donald Justice is a poignant exploration of discontent and the search for identity in a rural setting. Through its rich imagery and introspective tone, the poem captures the speaker's struggle with isolation and longing, while also hinting at the possibility of future reflection and understanding. Justice's portrayal of the farm as a place of both confinement and profound solitude invites readers to contemplate the complexities of memory and self-perception.

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