Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

In "The Corn Baby" by Mark Wunderlich, the poem uses rich, evocative imagery to explore themes of life, creation, and the cyclical nature of seasons. The central figure of the "corn baby" is a symbolic representation of both birth and the harvest, embodying the connection between human labor, nature, and the mystery of creation. Through its language, the poem captures a sense of wonder, reverence, and unease as it contemplates the natural world and the mysteries it holds.

The poem opens with the statement, "They brought it. It was brought / from the field, the last sheaf, the last bundle." This sets the stage for a ritualistic act of harvesting, with the "last sheaf" symbolizing the final product of the labor and the culmination of the season's work. The repetition of "brought" emphasizes the act of bringing something in, suggesting that this harvest is significant, perhaps even sacred. The "last bundle" implies that this is the end of a cycle, the final product of the earth’s generosity.

The "corn baby" is introduced in an almost mythic way: "Up up / over the head, hold it, hold it high it held / the gazer’s gaze, it held hope, did hold it." The language here is both reverential and awe-stricken, suggesting that the corn baby is not just a physical object but something that carries hope, something that has been anticipated and revered. The use of "hold it high" implies that the object is not merely physical but also symbolic, representing a connection to something larger—perhaps the earth, the harvest, or the cycle of life. The corn baby is not just a bundle of crops; it is a beacon, a vessel for the gazer’s hopes and dreams.

The description of the corn baby becomes increasingly mysterious as it is described as "hardly anything, it weighed, like a sparrow," emphasizing its fragility and elusiveness. The comparison to a sparrow suggests that it is small, delicate, and light—yet still full of life and meaning. The phrase "it was said, something winged, hollow, though / pulsing" suggests that despite its emptiness, the corn baby is still alive, capable of movement or energy. It is "freed from the field / where it flailed in wind," invoking the idea of the corn baby as both an object and a being that has been released from its place of growth, now existing outside of the field. The contrast between being "hollow" and "pulsing" creates a sense of paradox, as the corn baby seems both empty and full of life at the same time.

The poem then continues to describe the corn baby as having "limbs, it had legs. And hands. / It had fingers. / Fingers and a face peering from the stalks." This description anthropomorphizes the corn baby, giving it human-like qualities such as limbs, hands, and a face. These traits emphasize the corn baby’s connection to human life and birth. The fact that the face is "shuttered in the grain" suggests that the corn baby is still hidden or contained, only partially revealed. It is a "closed" kernel, which might signify both its physical form and its potential—suggesting something that has yet to fully emerge or be understood.

The line "They brought him and autumn / rushed in, tossed its cape of starlings" marks a shift in the poem, as the arrival of the corn baby coincides with the arrival of autumn. The "cape of starlings" evokes an image of movement and change, as the season turns and nature prepares for the colder months. The phrase "tattered the frost-spackled field" suggests the harshness of the coming season, where the warmth and life of summer are replaced by the cold and stillness of winter. This imagery connects the corn baby to the larger cycle of life, death, and rebirth that is symbolized by the changing seasons.

“The Corn Baby” is a meditation on the cycles of nature, life, and creation. Through its vivid, often paradoxical imagery, the poem portrays the corn baby as a symbol of both life and death, fertility and fragility. The corn baby, with its human-like features, represents the merging of the natural world with human experience—an entity that is both part of nature and yet imbued with human meaning. The harvest, the arrival of autumn, and the passage of time are all woven together in this haunting, mysterious narrative, urging the reader to reflect on the interconnectedness of all things and the perpetual cycles of life, death, and renewal that define the natural world.

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