Agriculture has always been an important component to the American economy and is what America was founded on. During the colonial period, the tobacco plant was the first plant to be harvested for profit and helped sustain a living for the first groups of families that were sent to live in America. Farming, whether it be for commercial or as a source of food, was widespread and was the main reason America was livable for the early colonies. If farming wasn’t used properly back then, then America would not be what it is today. In William Carlos Williams’s poem “The Red Wheelbarrow,” he uses the elements of imagery, emphasis, and form to convey that agriculture is vital to America’s economy and should not be altered or forgotten. The imagery …show more content…
utilized in the poem is enough to help the reader see at least the setting. There are only three objects the author mentions to portray the scene and they are; “a red wheel/ barrow,” “rain/ water,” and “white/ chickens” (3-8). When putting these objects all together the image of a farm comes to mind either because of the chickens or the wheelbarrow, or even both together. But this isn’t just any farm, based on the colors of the three main subjects of the poem; red, blue and white, it can be assumed that the poem is specifically about an American farm. Usually when picturing a farm, the image of either a more modern farm or a farm from the early 1900s comes to mind, which are from seeing pictures in history books, depending whether the person grew up around an agricultural region or not. Either way the image of a farm is in the mind of the reader and provokes the question of the importance of the farm. Emphasis is another literary element that Williams uses to get the reader to focus on certain words that were purposely emphasized in the poem. In the first stanza, Williams says: “so much depends/ upon” (1-2). This set up puts emphasis on the “depends” which then leads to the next line with only one word, “upon.” This stanza gives an insight to how important the red wheelbarrow actually is because it basically symbolizes the farming industry since for a long time, it was one of the main tools with a wheel utilized for farming before the invention of the tractor in the 1890s. Also, the fact that America was basically founded on farming is another key factor as to why the symbolism of agriculture is being emphasized as being important. Another possible emphasis is how Williams breaks up the word wheelbarrow onto two separate lines as if it were two separate words: “wheel/ barrow” (3-4). This technique makes the focus on both words and their individual meanings, such as, the wheel is movement and the barrow carries objects. Usually these two aspects work together, but the fact that they are not is a possible stab at the lack of teamwork that occurs as more inventions are introduced to society. The last element utilized is form and the first thing that is noticeable is that there are no capitals used in the poem even at the beginning of stanzas.
This could symbolize how much work is put into farms and there is barely any time for anything else, such as, capitalizing letters at the beginning of lines. Another possible reason for the lack of capitals in the poem is a hint at how capitalism is causing the agriculture aspect of the economy to become less like it used to be. Capitalism is associated with private businesses or companies, such as Dell. This is a more well known company and is also one of the largest privately owned companies in America. Dell is known for its PC units and other various contributions to electronics. During Williams’ time, technology was just starting to advance and become a new thing for citizens even though not everyone could afford them. Williams must have noticed the shift towards technology and industrialization America was taking to hopefully better its economy. Even though during the time that the poem was written, which was in the 1920s, America was doing incredibly well based on its economy, but this change didn’t sit well with Williams. What I mean is that technology, during Williams’s time, grew at an alarming rate especially since before industrialization, there were not many inventions that altered the American life as the car or the telephone did. For many people this change can be scary and difficult to adjust …show more content…
to. Also, when Williams mentions the rainwater in the third stanza, he uses the same technique that he did with the word “wheelbarrow,” which is separating them on two lines: “glazed with rain/ water” (5-6). One interpretation of this stanza is that since the wheelbarrow is the object that has the rainwater on it, this could signify that these two are tied together and are both important when it comes to farming. The wheelbarrow helps perform the labor while the rainwater keeps the produce alive. Another noticeable aspect in this stanza is that since the “rain/ water” is split, the two words each represent something different than the other. Water obviously represents a necessity for the produce to survive, but the rain on the other hand could tie in with the technology. For example, pesticides are used on crops to either keep the insects away or remove weeds, but an awful result that could occur from an overuse of pesticides is acid rain. This occurs when the chemicals in the pesticides evaporate alongside the water which then turns the next rainfall into acid rain. Even though these pesticides were not introduced during Williams’s lifetime, they are a type of technological advancement that altered farming. The farming industry has gone through many changes in the past century or two, but the one thing that hasn’t changed is the importance of the crop that is produced.
Even though some people think modernizing is the key to a successful economy in the future, it doesn't mean that the farming industry should be reduced to the back burner when thinking about what is contributing to the ever-growing economy. My point here that agriculture is vital to America’s economy and should not altered should interest those who live in farming communities. Beyond this limited audience, however, my point should speak to anyone who cares about the larger issue of making sure agriculture is seen as an important asset that benefits citizens and other industries that utilize the products that are
manufactured.
Through the period of 1865-1900, America’s agriculture underwent a series of changes .Changes that were a product of influential role that technology, government policy and economic conditions played. To extend on this idea, changes included the increase on exported goods, do the availability of products as well as the improved traveling system of rail roads. In the primate stages of these developing changes, farmers were able to benefit from the product, yet as time passed by, dissatisfaction grew within them. They no longer benefited from the changes (economy went bad), and therefore they no longer supported railroads. Moreover they were discontented with the approach that the government had taken towards the situation.
In recent history, farming in America has changed dramatically, and Naylor’s farm is representative of many in the American Corn Belt. Though it began growing a variety of crops and keeping livestock too, Naylor now only plants corn and soybeans. In Naylor’s grandfather’s days, the farm fed the whole family with just enough left over for twelve others. Now, Naylor indirectly feeds an estimated 129 people, but this does not mean his farm is any more successful. In fact, Naylor’s farm cannot financially support his family.
Hector St. Jean de Crevecoeur, a Frenchman living in America, wrote many letters to Europeans telling them of the great opportunities for immigrants to America and its generous, welcoming, paternal government. However, a study of the farm workers ' experiences in America does not always paint a rosy picture. In particular, John Steinbeck and Cesar Chavez portrayed the dire circumstances of farm workers during the Great Depression (1930 's) and the 1960 's. Today my interview with a farm worker shows that farm workers today still face injustices.
In William Carlos Williams’ poem, “The Red Wheelbarrow,” he artistically paints a picture using words to depict a simple object that to some may appear mundane. Through his illustration the red wheelbarrow, which might otherwise be overlooked, becomes the focal point of his poem and the image he is creating for the reader. He paints the illusion through his writing style, use of color and word choices to remind the reader of the importance of a simple object, the wheelbarrow.
In 1919, farmers from thirty states, including Missouri, saw a need. They gathered in Chicago and formed the American Farm Bureau Federation. In 1919, they had one goal, they wanted to speak for themselves with the help of their own national organization. Since 1919, Farm Bureau has operated by a philosophy that states: “analyze the problem of farmers and develop a plan of action for these problems” (Missouri). In the past 94 years, the A...
The global appeal of the so-called American dream of happiness and success has drawn many people to the “promised land” for hundreds of years. Although the American government preached equality for all on paper, it was driven primarily by money. Both Upton Sinclair and John Steinbeck recognized this and used literature to convey the flaws of capitalism. Sinclair’s The Jungle satirized America’s wage slavery at the turn of the century and forty years later, Steinbeck’s novel The Grapes of Wrath criticized the commercialism of American farming. These two books, often viewed as propagandistic, employ similar persuasive strategies: strong imagery, heavy symbolism, biting irony, and a proposal to correct the situation. Despite these parallels, however, the authentic diction and syntax of Steinbeck’s writing deviates from the inconsistent style of Sinclair. After considering how each author manipulates various stylistic elements, The Grapes of Wrath proves to be a more cogent tract.
As America grew during these six decades, industrialization and higher education created more compact communities unable to economically provide the land needs of farmers. In Crèvecoeur's America, "some few towns excepted, we are all tillers of the earth"(263). In 1850, Thoreau's Concord was among the many towns allowing people to leave their farms for a more urban setting to house their law practices, shoe stores, or surveying businesses. The separation of farmers from the rest of society leads to intellectualizations of the profession by thinkers like Thoreau. Removed from the simple, hard labor of farming, it is easy for urbanized society to forget the farmer's purpose and importance in Western civilization.
The 1920’s were the singularly most influential years of farming in our country. The loss of farms following the war, and new agricultural practices resulted in the dawn of modern agriculture in our country. The shift from small family to big corporation during this time is now the basis for how our society deals with food today. Traditional farming in the 1920’s underwent a series of massive transitions following WWI as the number of farms decreased and the size of farms increased.
...o. “The Great Agricultural Transition: Crisis, Change, and Social Consequence of the Twentieth Century US Farming”. Annual Review of Sociology 27 (2001): 103-124.
With the economic system, the south had a very hard time producing their main source “cotton and tobacco”. “Cotton became commercially significant in the 1790’s after the invention of a new cotton gin by Eli Whitney. (PG 314)” Let alone, if they had a hard time producing goods, the gains would be extremely unprofitable. While in the North, “In 1837, John Deere patented a strong, smooth steel plow that sliced through prairie soil so cleanly that farmers called it the “singing plow.” (PG 281).” Deere’s company became the leading source to saving time and energy for farming as it breaks much more ground to plant more crops. As well as mechanical reapers, which then could harvest twelve acres a day can double the corn and wheat. The North was becoming more advanced by the second. Many moved in the cities where they would work in factories, which contributed to the nation’s economic growth because factory workers actually produced twice as much of labor as agricultural workers. Steam engines would be a source of energy and while coal was cutting prices in half actually created more factories, railroads for transportation, and ships which also gave a rise in agricultural productivity.
From the beginning of William Carlos Williams’ poem “The Red Wheelbarrow” the reader is captured by the statement “so much depends” (Williams line 1). As this short work continues the reader is seeing a graceful image that Williams creates. The mind’s eye can envision a painting that is tranquil, yet has the quiet activity of a rural farm home. With this in mind, what exactly is the author sharing with the reader? The poem communicates charmingly the dependence a man has for a vital piece of equipment.
Looking closely at Williams’s reactionary poem to The Waste Land, Spring and All, we can question whether or not he followed the expectations he anticipated of Modernist work: the attempts to construct new art in the midst of a world undergoing sweeping changes. A version of Spring and All without the sections of prose that were interspersed with the poems was first published in 1923; a year after The Waste Land first appeared. In titles alone, we can see the opposing ideals peeking through, The Waste Land, a poem embedded with imagery of “breeding /. out of the dead land,” a proposal of life moving forward in the wake of immense death that came with World War One, against the direct presentation of the title Spring and All, which seemingly appears as the solution, the key to rebirth (Ramazani 474).... ... middle of paper ... ...
Agriculture—it’s something that not very many people know much about. However, it is important for us to survive. Almost everything in our everyday lives is agriculture-related, from the food you eat to the clothes you wear.
“The farm implement industry has profoundly shaped both American agriculture and the national economy. Of all farm implements, the tractor has had the greatest impact on rural life” (Robert C. Williams, qtd. in Olmstead).
Farmers are essentially the back-bone of the entire food system. Large-scale family farms account for 10% of all farms, but 75% of overall food production, (CSS statistics). Without farmers, there would be no food for us to consume. Big business picked up on this right away and began to control the farmers profits and products. When farmers buy their land, they take out a loan in order to pay for their land and farm house and for the livestock, crops, and machinery that are involved in the farming process. Today, the loans are paid off through contracts with big business corporations. Since big business has such a hold over the farmers, they take advantage of this and capitalize on their crops, commodities, and profits. Farmers are life-long slaves to these b...