Poem Analysis - A Verb Agreement

An Ode to Safety and Creativity

Les Murray's "A Verb Agreement" is a charming and humorous poem that celebrates the interconnectedness of nature, art, and friendship. The poem recounts an incident where the poet Andrew Lansdown helps prune a silky-oak tree after a windstorm. Its tone is lighthearted and appreciative, moving from practical concern to a broader reflection on the creative spirit embodied by Lansdown and echoed in the natural world. The poem's gentle humor is consistent throughout, making it a pleasure to read and analyze.

The Poet as a Natural Force

One of the primary themes is the intrinsic connection between poetry and the natural world. Lansdown, the poet, is presented as someone naturally at home in the tree, described as "supple" and "nimbly / disinvolving wrecked branches." This imagery suggests a harmonious relationship between the poet's creative abilities and the untamed energy of nature. Furthermore, the final lines draw a direct parallel between the tree's vibrant blooms and the "kingdom within Andrew," implying that the creative spirit is as vital and beautiful as the natural world itself. The tree, after all, glories as Andrew does, suggesting his work is also glorious.

Fear and the Value of a Poet

The poem explores the theme of preservation, specifically the preservation of a creative individual. The speaker's refusal to let Lansdown use the chainsaw highlights a concern for the poet's safety. The speaker's concern isn't just for physical harm but also for a potential disruption of Lansdown's creative flow – he fears jeopardizing "an iamb or / a dactyl." The image of "showering rubies" is a striking metaphor for the potential damage to Lansdown's "body of value and verses," elevating the poet's worth beyond mere physical safety. He is a vessel for poetry and must be protected.

The Danger of a Caesura

Another important theme revolves around language itself and its power to both create and potentially harm. The speaker's fear of Lansdown suffering "caesuras or endstoppings" extends beyond physical injury to encompass the disruption of his poetic rhythm and creativity. Here, Murray cleverly merges the physical and the artistic. Caesuras and endstoppings are poetic devices (pauses or line endings), but in this context, they symbolize potential interruptions or even the cessation of Lansdown's creative output. This highlights the delicate and precious nature of artistic inspiration and the potential for everyday experiences to stifle it.

Symbolism in Nature's Bloom

The silky-oak tree functions as a central symbol in the poem. It represents resilience, beauty, and the cyclical nature of life and creativity. The tree, recovering from the windstorm, becomes "a Scala of ginger balconies, a palladium" every October, demonstrating its ability to regenerate and flourish. This cyclical blooming mirrors the ongoing creative process, suggesting that inspiration and artistic expression are not static but rather recurring and vibrant forces. The birds that "interrogate its bloom" with their "dulcet commentary" could symbolize the audience engaging with and interpreting the artist's work.

Creative Echoes in the Natural World

In conclusion, "A Verb Agreement" is a deeply resonant poem that celebrates the connections between nature, creativity, and human friendship. Through vivid imagery and gentle humor, Murray explores themes of preservation, artistic inspiration, and the cyclical nature of life. The poem's central image of the silky-oak tree, both resilient and beautiful, serves as a powerful symbol for the enduring power of art and the importance of protecting those who create it. The final lines, equating the tree's glory with "the kingdom within Andrew," offer a profound insight into the interconnectedness of the natural world and the human spirit, leaving the reader with a sense of wonder and appreciation for the beauty that surrounds us.