Question: Comment on the way the relationship between individuals and the natural world is presented in ÃÂFarmhandÃÂ.
The relationship between individuals and the natural world is presented quite extravagantly in the poem ÃÂFarmhandÃÂ composed by James K. Baxter. Using various speech and sound devices Baxter has made the point how a natural environment can be vital to a person and be a relief to solitude and isolation. The natural world creates a place of comfort and security for the farmhand in comparison to his clumsiness and fear to the opposite sex. The farmhand in BaxterÃÂs poem is very closely related to nature and the hard work on the farm displays the characterÃÂs masculinity.
The farmhand at first glance seems a self-conscious young man with a placid attitude. He will stand ÃÂleaning his back against the wallÃÂ, smoking a cigarette or ÃÂtelling some new joke to a (male) friendÃÂ.
However at closer examination the reader can imagine the complexity of the characterÃÂs feelings. He has unremitting desire for a girl-friend ÃÂto run her fingers through his sandy hairÃÂ but is too afraid to . His envy is depicted as he always will turn his eyes to the dance floor and watch ÃÂthe girls drifting like flowersÃÂ. The farmhand thinks about them though, as he has ÃÂawkward hopesÃÂ and ÃÂenvious dreamsÃÂ that he likes to dwell upon, but he erroneously believes it is very embarrassing and so he keeps it a secret. Throughout the poem images are created using words from his natural environment. This makes a statement about how close the farmhand feels to nature.
The farmhand is described by using metaphors linking to his environment; ÃÂCrops slow-growing as his mindÃÂ. He feels most comfortable while working on the farm, ÃÂeffortless and strongÃÂ. Here he finds...