Farmhand by James Baxter Essay

This poem was written by James Baxter who was subjective and lived in in the raw Zealand. He was brought up in a take a leak in a subdued and bleak s let out(p)h east corner of New Zealand.The poem is about a field hand who is portrayed to be a very ambivalent character. He is unhappy and rather faint in genuine situations and extremely confident and gloriously happy in new(prenominal)s.Some old woundings a past acknowledge or probably the secret night which has witnessed some(prenominal) deep dark personal experiencesrelate to his emotions and melancholy. solely the same all his sadness is vanquished once on the farm where he feels like a king.In the stolon two stanzas the poet describes the Farmhand as he stands impertinent the dancing floor.The first stanza tries to give the outcome from his gestures that he is a c beless person not fire in what is going around him the way he is smoking and joking with his friends. But as the poet helps us observe him closer an d find him Looking out into the secret night and always his eyes twist to the bounce floor and the girls we realize that the farmhand is not as he appears to be.It is obvious that he desires and longs to be inside provided something is holding him back. Describing girls as directionless like flowers shows how he is able to appreciate their yellowish pink and grace inspite of his work and natural settings being impeccant of them.Music is personified to show effect. Baxter says the music is so affective that the music tears slowly in his judgment an old wound open break aways that he has had an ill-natured sad emotional experience and the deep wound has not yet healed.Painful memories may be still fresh and surface upon watching the girls bound on the floors or listening to the music or even gazing at the dark night, which shares his secret and sorrow.The subscriber feels very sympathetic towards the farmhand in the import stanza when the poet writes, His red unhealthy face and tomentose pass were not made for dancing or erotic love -making. The description of his bodily features convey he is unkindly to the girls of upper social class and not go to indulge in dancing and socializing or love making which is privilege of the elite and handsome.The farmhand is engaged in an occupation, which benefits and is a necessity to all mankind. Yet his sacrifice and selfless attitude to his work is not appreciated and he feels inhibited and diffident to mix with girls because of his external appearance and social standing. He is categorized as only fit for humankind wave breaking and for using the ploughThe crops are described as slow-growing as his mind. This fable maybe interpreted as slow to reveal his emotions and express his thoughts and feelings and may possibly be the modestness he is yet to have a missy or wife.The fourth stanza talks of the farmhands loneliness and vacuum he experiences in life-time. He longs for soul to love and someone who loves and cares for him. Like other people of his age and he yearns to have someone to walk with, to laugh and share life with.He has his hopes and daydreams but he feels because of his hairy hands and sunburnt face he may only be able to weave or yarn dreams but they may never become a reality. here(predicate) again the reader is moved, as life has been so harsh to the farmhand because of the nature of his job that he is now even diffident and embarrassed to dream and hope.In the last stanza the poet tells us that the Farmhand is in his domain The Farm and once in his natural element he is confident and comfortable. His looks dont affect him and his low self-esteem is vanquished.The sound of the tractor railway locomotive is music to his ears one which energizes him, not which makes him nostalgic and sad.His hairy hands, which seemed clumsy around delicate girls on the dance floor, are perfect for his job he carries out effortlessly.The poet uses the exclamationAh as an exclam ation of admiration towards the farmer and how perfectly he fits his role and jobIt is poignant to note that the persona has not been given a name and is referred throughout as Farmhand gives the impression that he has no personal identity and is cognise and recognized by his job around which his life revolves. He lives for his job.