Nature

Nature by H.D. Carberry

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 bullets on the roofs

And there is no sound but the 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 blosson

When the 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.

Understanding the poem

Lines 1 – 10

The poet writes about his homeland, Jamaica. He rejoices in the beauty of the island nation. There is no seasonal change in Jamaica. The weather is hot and sunny. There are vast canefields in Jamaica as sugar is one of the main exports.

However, there are days when heavy rain falls in Jamaica. The rain comes down in torrents and the gullies (narrow channel formed by rainwater) are filled with fast flowing water. The trees struggle to stay rooted as they are battered by strong winds.

There are also days when the once lush canefields lie bare and empty under the sun. The sugarcanes have already been harvested and there is nothing in the fields except weeds.

Lines 11 – 15

In ending his poem, the poet tells us of his favourite time – days when the flowers of mango trees and logwood blosson. After the rain, the sun shines bringing beauty and life back to nature. He uses imagery – sound and smell, to illustrate abundant life and activity in the bushes when the sound of bees and the scent of honey add to the charm and beauty of Jamaica. He describes fields filled with lovely yellow buttercups. All this happens when the rains have stopped and the beauty of nature emerges once again.

Literal Meaning	Figurative Meaning
Lines 1 -2 Jamaica does not have four seasons of spring, summer, autumn and winter.	It may appear that we, who come from different races and places, do not have the same things in life.
Lines 3 – 5 Jamaica has instead bright days when the weather is very hot and the gold sun shines brilliantly on the fields rich with green sugarcanes.	However, we all do have good times when everything is bright and pleasant and things that bring joy in their own ways.
Lines 6 – 9 During the rainy season, the torrential rain falls and beats with such force on the roofs of houses. One hears only the sound of water rushing through the gullies, The trees have to struggle against the strong wind to stay upright.	At other times, life is a struggle and we may feel overwhelmed by problems, personal and otherwise. Life may not seem worthwhile as the road ahead is full of obstacles.
Lines 10 – 12 At other times, trees shed their leaves and the fields of crops which have been harvested are left bare.	There will be times when certain problems seem insurmountable as we lose control and things get out of hand. We have no choice but to accept the circumstances and let them be.
Lines 13 – 15 The best times are when flowers and fruits are in full bloom as Earth becomes alive again. The bushes are full of bees and the fragrance of honey fills the air. Grass grows tall and sways to the slightest breeze. Yellow buttercups like shining stars cover the fields. The surroundings abound with beauty after the rainy days have gone.	After the unhappy bad days, we will see good days and they may be the best times of our life. We have to go through bad days. In order to appreciate the good days. When these good moments occur, everything goes right and we enjoy life to the fullest. Then, we will be able to realize that everyone is actually getting the same things in life, only in different ways.

Themes

1. The Changes in Nature / Appreciative of Nature

Nature can be seen in many forms. It can be sunny and fine one minute and dark and gloomy the next. We must learn to appreciate nature in whatever form it represents itself. Summer, winter, autumn and spring may represent certain images of beauty in our mind but the hot, rainy or windy days experienced elsewhere are just as wonderful. We see plants, insects and animals thriving under different weather conditions and continuing the cycle of life. This is nature’s way of ensuring every place on Earth is given what it needs best.

2. The Ups and Downs of Life

Life is not always easy – there will be ups and downs, good and bad times no matter where we are. We may go through rainy days when everything seems gloomy and our problems bring us down. However, life itself works in miraculous ways, after the rain, the sun will again shine and our surroundings will look bright again. Therefore, we should have faith that no matter what the problem is, it can be solved at some point and life will be even better than before.