Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Louis Simpson's poem "Farm in Minnesota" offers a contemplative exploration of the lives of farmers, intertwining their existence with the cycles of nature and the inevitable decline that comes with time. Through the metaphor of farming, the poem delves into themes of human labor, mortality, and the spiritual hope that persists beyond death.

The poem begins with a vivid image of "corn rows" walking the earth, a striking metaphor that likens the rows of corn to humanity itself. These corn rows, "crowding like mankind between the fences," suggest the closeness and competition of human life, confined within boundaries both literal and metaphorical. The corn, like people, is dependent on the forces of nature—"feeding on sun and rain"—and is vulnerable to the whims of the environment, whether it be the destruction brought by hail or the desolation caused by drought. This imagery highlights the precariousness of life, whether in the plant world or in human experience.

The speaker then shifts focus to the farmers, the "lieutenants of this foot cavalry," who tend to the crops. The military metaphor here is poignant, suggesting that the farmers are engaged in a kind of battle or campaign, tirelessly working the land. Yet, despite their efforts, there is a sense of futility in their task. The "green men" — the crops — "never move an inch," symbolizing the static, unchanging nature of their labor, as well as the farmers' own sense of stagnation. The phrase "who cares for us?" underscores the farmers' feelings of neglect and abandonment, suggesting that their hard work goes unrecognized and unrewarded.

The poem takes a darker turn as it reflects on the inevitable decline that the farmers face. Their beds, the symbol of their domestic life and rest, are "sold at auction," implying a loss of home and security. The Bible and sword, traditional symbols of faith and protection, are left to children who "prefer a modern house," indicating a generational shift away from the values and lifestyle of the past. The farmers' flesh, which has been "consumed only to make more lives," speaks to the idea that their labor and lives have been spent entirely in service of others, with little left for themselves.

However, the poem does not end in despair. Instead, it transitions into a hopeful, almost transcendent conclusion. The farmers, now deceased, have their "heads planted under the church," where they metaphorically rise "in the fields of death." This image suggests a resurrection or spiritual rebirth, where the farmers, like the crops they once tended, are gathered "by angels" and "shine in the hands of God." The reference to "empty pods" conveys the idea that while their physical bodies may have been emptied and exhausted in life, their spirits remain, to be harvested in a divine afterlife.

"Farm in Minnesota" presents a powerful meditation on the lives of those who work the land, capturing both the hardships and the hope that define their existence. Through its rich imagery and resonant metaphors, the poem speaks to the universal human experience of labor, loss, and the search for meaning beyond the material world.

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