Section+9

Section 9 describes the peace found in the country, a contrast from the abnormal and fierce portrayal of the city. The tranquility is reenforced with symbolism and a melodic tone. The “clear light” of the country brings a peace to the speaker that the city could not. There are no gruesome descriptions of death, only a recounting of work on a farm in nature, where learning is most abundant. The countryside is described as peaceful to show that nature is the only tranquil enough to learn in, away from the influence of society that is mainly found in large cities. A lack of influence from others is the key to true enlightenment.

The first stanza of section 9 begins with “the” in every sentence. This enhances the speaker’s meter and advances an oncoming climax, which is the realization of the calm in nature versus the disorder of the city.The poet portrays “big doors” in line 167 that are in the country, “open and ready” for any who would be willing to come. The poet reinforces the idea of an individual’s own prowess as well as the reward nature could be for that prowess. He uses symbolism to make nature seem welcoming, almost maternal, and to express that anyone could enter nature with ease. Also, the stanza’s tone comes to reflect a more personal experience as the speaker expresses “I felt its soft joints” and “[rolled] head over heels”(172,174). In addition to creating an atmosphere of individual freedom through symbolism, the poet extends this freedom into the actual tone of the words. He uses relaxing phrases to express the warmth of nature and the way it cares for individuals. The repetition of “I” in lines 171 to 173 makes the tone even more personal and reiterates the maternal way of nature even further.It is as if the speaker is tempting others to join him. Nature seems constant, but not obtrusive. It is portrayed as a catalyst for inner peace that can only be reached by one having an idea of their self before entering it. Furthermore, once inner freedom is obtained, the author propels that one can “jump from the cross-beams” of society to enter the “clover and timothy”(173). Crossbeams are paralleled with two curing remedies of nature; to portray that one must escape society for inner freedom. The action of jumping from society makes the act more dangerous, further contributing to the dangerous effects society entails.