Land of Mine in Dire Neglect
Land of Mine in Dire Neglect - meaning Summary
Homeland in Quiet Decline
The poem addresses a neglected homeland, depicting abandoned cottages, uncut fields, and decaying roofs to evoke rural decline. Natural images—crows, bird cherry, wind-blown light—underscore a quiet, elegiac atmosphere. The speaker contrasts present desolation with remembered or imagined tales, asking whether the land’s past was once a fairytale or legend. The tone mixes affectionate lament and questioning memory, mourning loss while invoking intimate, sensory detail.
Read Complete AnalysesLand of mine in dire neglect, Country run to waste, Fields of hay unmown as yet, Monastery, estate. Every cottage is askew, Five there are in all. In the setting sun their roofs Foam as shadows fall. Under shirt-thatch coverings Roof-ribs соте to view, Wind-blown specks of sunlight tinge Mould of dove-grey hue. Hitting panes unerringly Crows past windows weave, Like а snowstorm, the bird cherry Waves а blossom-sleeve. Wasn't your life а fairytale, А legend of the past То а late wayfarer told Ву the feather-grass?
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