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In as much as the poem was almost balanced in three perspectives of senses, the sense of smell was least explored.
The central message and theme in this poem revolve around change. A persona is an elderly person that re-thinks about the gone days with nostalgia and admires the days that he was young with strength. The poet has used parallels between the age of the persona and the changes in weather where the persona is thinking of his youthful days in terms of spring when the ice was breaking of ice and summertime when the persona was gaming in the hot sun.
The changes in weather and climatic condition have been mirrored in the life of the persona who think that he is re-living the gone days. To that effect, the poet wanted to give a message on change, how things and event recur but the only thing that change is doing the things that one did in youthful life with vitality and energy at an elderly age. The change in age is not limited to the setting of the poem but universal though the imagery and parallel are limited to the setting of the poem.
Stanza one explains the stubborn exploration of human beings on earth in a cyclic manner one after the other. There is logging and deforestation that is ongoing where human beings re-settle on lands that had earlier been settled on.
Stanza two ostensibly explains the exploration and the rationale. There is preparation for the season where plowing is ongoing to plant new crops. The main message in this stanza is that the land was previously owned by someone who sold it.
In stanza three, it shows the remnants of machines used to explore the earth that has been rendered useless. They are waiting for the reselling or auction by willing buyers. This emphasizes the cyclic nature of earth exploration.
Stanza four is indicative of the claimants who once owned the land but now they are bereaved of their ownership. The “three lived and played” around the land that is under new ownership. In its entirety, the owners of the land were moved.
The act of “earth reclaiming what was once was” is metaphorical since, in its capacity, it cannot reclaim. It is referring to the transformation of the growing trees through exploration. Additionally, the green grass fire is metaphorically used in that it has been personified to have the capacity to “lick”. Additionally, the “field of grain being hungry” for the newly-broken soil is also metaphorical in that it has given life to the fields to be hungry.
The three that are mentioned in the last stanza are the previous owners of the land and are now disowned by the buyer of the land. The narrator feels that the previous owners were turned destitute since most of their properties were destroyed or auctioned.
The adjective suggestive of the nostalgic attachment of the three on the land is the forgotten bones, strangely still falls, blossoming of their metals and slow. This show the attachment of the land that was sold to their properties.
The person being addressed has patience and worked hard in his or her endeavors. The speaker is very observant with strong memory and wants to reward the patience of the person being addressed. This can be seen using the refrain of the poem “because you waited” and the speaker needing the person then he or she is to the speaker.