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Summer Farm By Norman Maccaaig

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In the poem ‘Summer Farm’ by Norman MacCaig, the tapestry of the tranquil rural landscape is woven with weft of mismatched hues: each shade representing a different meaning. A metaphor that repeatedly occurs is the problems of life, and the poet achieves by using the actions of animals to represent different facets of life, heavily connotating nature’s peace and through its structures. MacCaig highlights everyday actions of animals – which if thought about profoundly enough – can relate to different aspects of life. In the final stanza, the final line reads: ‘Nine ducks go wobbling in straight lines’. The word ‘wobbling’ is referring to the way ducks walk; they don’t put one foot in front of the other in a straight line, their body swinging from side to side. However, ducks do get to where they want to be. With this image firmly planted, the connection between the ducks and life are clear: the wobbles represents life’s obstacles, and two straight …show more content…

There is a constant rhyming scheme throughout the poem, the first line rhymes with the second, and the third rhymes with the fourth. Examples include ‘grass’ and ‘glass’, ‘through’ and ‘blue’, and ‘face’ and ‘space’ There is, however, no set rhythm for the amount of syllables in each line: ‘Straws like tame lightning lie about the grass / And hang zigzag on hedges. Green as glass.’ The first line has nine syllables and the second has ten. This reminds me of the recurring metaphor of life throughout the poem: the structure itself could embed some of its meaning. The methodical layout and rhyming pattern could hint at life’s stages: childhood, adolescence, adulthood and death. the chaotic number of syllables in each line could indicate life’s problems emerging one by one. Placed together, the structure could convey the poet’s thoughts on problems in life: no matter where you are in life, problems will arise whether you want them to or

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