UNDERSTANDING FORM 5 POEM - NATURE by Hugh Doston Carberry

Nature
We have neither Summer nor Winter
Neither Autumn nor Spring.
We have instead the days
When the gold sun shines on the lush green canefields-
Magnificently.
The days when the rain beats like bullet on the roofs
And there is no sound but thee swish of water in the gullies
And trees struggling in the high Jamaica winds.
Also there are the days when leaves fade from off guango trees’
And the reaped canefields lie bare and fallow to the sun.
But best of all there are the days when the mango and the logwood blossom
When bushes are full of the sound of bees and the scent of honey,
When the tall grass sways and shivers to the slightest breath of air,
When the buttercups have paved the earth with yellow stars
And beauty comes suddenly and the rains have gone.
                                                                                    H.D.Carberry


ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Hugh Doston Carberry, 1921-1989, was educated at Jamaica College before going to Oxford University. He worked as a Barrister of Law and was later appointed a Judge of the Court of Appeal, where he remained until his retirement at the age of 67.

Synopsis

This poem is about celebration. It is a descriptive poem about the changing scenes. It celebrates the richness of the land’s produce and how alive and plentiful Nature is. However, amidst the harsh rain and lashing wind, things are always bright and glorious when the sun shines again. 

SETTING

The poem is set in Jamaica. The poet uses nature and describes the weather being hot and wet. The poet also uses trees, bushes, flowers, and fruits to portray nature as alive and abundant. The weather is seen as bright and sunny with flowers in full bloom. If it turns wet with its torrential rain and gushing wind, or when water swirls on the ground and nature is in mayhem, it will all eventually pass. He shares his enthusiasm and gratitude and appreciation for nature as the poem ends.

TONE AND MOOD

H.D. Carberry uses a joyful and casual tone. He celebrates nature using words like ‘gold’, ‘magnificent’, stars’ and ‘beauty’. His light-hearted mood invites the readers to celebrate Jamaica’s opulent nature.

THEME

1)            Celebrating nature yet be humbled by it

The wonder of nature should be admired and revered as its power is limitless and unpredictable. Weather changes in a wink of an eye, latent one moment and the other, unleashing its destructive force. The same weather can be stagnant one moment and the next revitalizing the earth with growth and beauty the next.

2)            Cycle of life

Though, we are saddened at the passing of beauty and life, we must learn that it is the natural cycle of life. Nature has its moments of life and death; moments of construction and destruction. When the struggle is over, we will see the rejuvenated nature blossoming itself.

3)            Appreciating one’s country

Life in one’s country has its share of ups and downs but one must always look at the brighter side of life. In this poem, the poet stresses on his country’s weather being sunny, rainy and windy. He mentions its produce of mango and honey, and the beauty of its canefields and the openness of the countryside. The poet states that we must appreciate what we have.