Elegy For My Father’s Father

He knew in the hour he died

That his heart had never spoken
In eighty years of days.
O for the tall tower broken
Memorial is denied:
And the unchanging cairn
The pipes could set ablaze
An aaronsrod and blossom.
They stood by the graveside
From his bitter veins born
And mourned him in their fashion.
A chain of sods in a day
He could slice and build
High as the head of a man
And a flowering cherry tree
On his walking shoulder held
Under the lion sun.
When he was old and blind
He sat in a curved chair
All day by the kitchen fire.
Many hours he had seen
The stars in their drunken dancing
Through the burning-glass of his mind
And sober knew the green
Boughs of heaven folding
The winter world in their hand.
The pride of his heart was dumb.
He knew in the hour he died
That his heart had never spoken
In song or bridal bed.
And the naked thought fell back
To a house by the waterside
And the leaves the wind had shaken
Then for a child’s sake:
To the waves all night awake
With the dark mouths of the dead.
The tongues of water spoke
And his heart was unafraid.
Analysis of ‘An elegy for my father’s father’ by James K. Baxter
Background
Baxter is a New Zealand poet who became famous for his anti-establishment views and
alternative lifestyle. His parents came from widely differing backgrounds which created some
conflict in the poet’s mind. He did not favor institutional education, an attitude which caused
frequent disruptions in his academic life. Baxter lived often among the Maoris which helped
him to understand nature intimately. This poem is about his grandfather who he refers to as
his “Father’s father”. He clinically examines the life his grandfather lived: he was not a warm
person, he seldom spoke his heart. But he was a skilled farmer who could coax the land to
produce its best.

Metaphorical Inference
Baxter’s poetry was deeply influenced by Maori lore and also by the works of British poets
like W H Auden, T S Eliot, Yeats and Hart Crane. There were conflicting influences in
Baxter’s life. While his parents were left leaning people with his mother a daughter of a well
known academic, his father’s people were small farmers who lived in the cold Scottish
Highlands. A reading of the poem reveals the taciturn nature of the grandfather. He never
spoke much and rarely opened his heart to anyone. While he was young, he had legendary
strength being able to cut hard soil and build structures as tall as a man all in the course of a
day. Even after he became old and lost sight, he was able to see in his mind’s eye the glowing
stars of the night. The poet seems to have respect and admiration for his grandfather but he
disapproves for his reserved nature.

Summary
At the moment of his death, the poet’s “Father’s father” realizes that in his eighty year long
life, not even once did he speak his heart out. There is no memorial for him, this stern,
taciturn man. As he lay dying, his family who were born of his “bitter veins” stands by his
graveside and mourns him in their different ways. He was a man of legendary strength who
could cut and build at an astonishing speed. He could carry on his shoulder full grown
flowering trees braving the hot blazing sun. When he grew old, he lost the sight in his eyes
but still could see in his mind’s eye the stars burning in the night sky. Even though he could
not see, he was alert to the changes in nature. His last days on earth brings back to him
memories of a house beside the water. He realizes that his end is near but he has no fear of
death.
Overall Impression
As the reader goes through the poem, the impression gained is of man who in his youth had
almost superhuman strength. The man barely spoke; he was an enigma. His family who hover
at his graveside barely knew him; they mourn his loss in different ways. In his old age he
cannot see. Naturally he would have become dependent. His last memories are of a house by
the water. The waves seem to speak to him. Death holds no terrors for him.
 Starting nice and easy, look at the poem we studied today and answer the following
questions. Don’t forget to put your name at the bottom!

How does the poet make you feel about his grandfather? Why do you think that?

1. The poem is about how the grandfather never connected to his family, never opening
to the others or letting them see through him; for never speaking (“That his heart had never
spoken.”) and that made him a tough and lonely person. (“For his bitter veins born.”) His
family stood at his graveside, not because they ever felt near to him, but because they
respected him and his roughness.
All it was left for him in the verge of dying were memories of him being strong, young and
satisfied with his life. Although that wasn´t completely true because he regretted not talking
to his family. (“The pride of his heart was dumb.”) There was nothing for him to do, to
change his past, his time has come and he accepts it without fear. (“And his heart was
unafraid.”)
Maybe James K. Baxter had such a grandfather; one that didn´t talked or expressed his
feelings, a tough man. So he died, not letting him or anyone else ever really know him. I
believe this because he has a sexist opinion, maybe he was told like this when he grew up and
ended up being a harsh person.
-Arantxa Ramírez Gómez.

2. Daniel Gomez Hernandezsays:

DANIEL GOMEZ HERNANDEZ-ELEGY FROM MY FATHER’S FATHER

I don’t really like this poem, because is difficult to read and the poet uses lots of metaphors
and literature devices that make this poem hard to read. If you want to have a clear idea of the
poem, you have to analyze it carefully and read it several times.
Its an interesting story. James K. Baxter wrote a poem where he shows a sad problem that
many people have. The poet made me feel sympathy for the grandfather, because its doleful
how people get distant from their own family and everything because never speaking or
showing your emotions. The grandfather regretted not talking, a happy and strong life ended
in a sad and solitary death.

3. yearelevenliteraturestarssays:

Elegy For My Father´s Father is a poem a bit difficult to understand as the user “Daniel
Gómez Hernandez” commented, you need to read the poem several times to understand it
very well or… be very good at analysing these type of poems; something that might confuse
some people at understanding this poem is that the author James K. Baxter wrote it in past
tense and this shows reflection, it also is written in free verse and this also refers to the life of
the grandfather, his life isn’t structured and the way this is written either. This poem has a
simple stanza, this helps the reader to understand a little bit better how is life… life is a
continuous journey until it suddenly stops.
I really disliked this poem at the start but by analysing it deeply I kind of liked it.
I would recommend this poem to someone who has any family problems because this really
transmits that you should have a strong and friendly connection with family and never let go
those you love.
 Lupita Delgadosays:

Lupita Delgado: This poem makes me feel very sad because I imagine the desperation you
feel when you’re about to die and you realise that you have been hiding your emotions during
you’re whole life and you also feel like you have to keep on hiding them even though you
regret it.
I liked this poem because it made me imagine how the grandfather and his grandson are
feeling, I like the way the author uses the nature metaphorically referring to the proces of life
and death and I think this is a good topic to make a poem about, it makes you feel a lot of
empathy and sadness.

4. Vanessa Salvador Valerosays:

Elegy of my father’s father is a really sad poem, it makes me realise that we all have to be
kind with people, particullary with our family, be always a nice person, because you’ll never
know when will be the last time we see that person, so it is very important to be remember as
a person who had been kind and happy all the life. It is so sad how the grandfather died with
that regret of never shared his emotions because he didn’t had a good relation with his family.
All the families should be close to shared moments together and support each other; this
family not even showed any interest for the grandfather, they never felt emotional.
I liked the poem, I thinks it’s a really good meassage for young people like us, to make us
realise we have to love old people, specially our grandparents, because withot them we
wouldn´t exist.

5. Paula Sofía Lozada DíazSeptember 6, 2016 at 12:57 am

James X. Baxter gave reader, and especially me, a sensation of sadness about how the
“father’s father” act around his family, he acted detached and apathetic, also he never talked
about his feelings and emotions “…his heart had never spoken…”, certainly he died
regretting about never expressing himself and realise he acted “dumb”.
From my point of view, the grandfather and the family didn’t know how to be a close to each
other, and for that same reason brought them to be unemotional about his death. “From his
bitter veins born”. I would never wish to have a family like that one. In other words, I believe
it was not only the grandfather’s fault but also the family’s for not being more demonstrative
about their emotions. I did enjoy the poem because it shows how not every family is perfect,
and we have to appreciate the little things life gives us, and the people who love us, because
someday they would not be around.

Recently in English we started studying a poem called Elegy For My Father’s Father by a NZ
poet called James K. Baxter. It’s interesting because most people in my class dislike the
poem, and even my teacher admitted that she didn’t like it at first, but I disagree—I think it’s
a beautiful poem and I love the way the words sing, especially when you read it out loud. The
meanings within the words are seemingly endless and I love the effect of the enjambment and
the caesuras. My interpretation is that this speaks of regret, missed opportunities, second
chances, and an examination of our relationships with those closest to us and of our own
lives.

Analysis
Stanzas: 1
Lines: 38
Rhyme Scheme: Free Verse
Tone: Dull and Slow
Theme: Death and Memories
Point of View: Third person
Subject of the Poem:
Grandfathers whole life filled with sensitivity and sorrow regret

Mood of the Poem

Elegy For My Father's Father
By: Erika Mercado & Kenny Barajas
:)
June 29,1926 - October 22,1972
> Born in Dunedin, New Zealand
> His father was Archibald Baxter,
who was one of New Zealand’s known pacifist from the First World War
> Took an interest in Poerty at an early age of 7
> He produced not only poems but as well as plays, literary criticism and
social/religious commentary
> He had strong opinions/judgements about society
> He dropped out of the university and worked in the farms
> Grew older and had addictions and troubles with alcholism

He knew in the hour he died

That his heart had never spoken
In eighty years of days.
O for the tall tower broken
Memorial is denied:
And the unchanging cairn
That pipes could set ablaze
An aaronsrod and blossom.
They stood by the graveside
From his bitter veins born
And mourned him in their fashion.
A chain of sods in a day
He could slice and build
High as the head of a man
And a flowering cherry tree
On his walking shoulder held
Under the lion sun.

When he was old and blind

He sat in a curved chair
All day by the kitchen fire.
Many nights he had seen
The stars in their drunken dancing
Through the burning-glass of his mind
And sober knew the green
Boughs of heaven folding
The winter world in their hand.
The pride of his heart was dumb.
He knew in the hour he died
That his heart had never spoken
In song or bridal bed.
And the naked thought fell back
To a house by the waterside
And the leaves the wind had shaken
Then for a child’s sake:
To waves all night awake
With the dark mouths of the dead.
The tongues of water spoke
And his heart was unafraid.
Analysis
> Poem is about his grandfather's sorrow life due to the lack of emotional
connection with others and even his family

> It talks about his love for nature and his stength plus endurance

> He is unafraid of death due to the sensitivity of natural world experience

> James K Baxter's grandfather had no relation to the poem

Baxter was quite critical about social inequality and poverty. His critiques
weren't always well received.
They stood by the the graveside
From his bitter vein born
And mourned him in there fashion

A chain of sods in a day

He could slice and build
High as the head of a man
And a flowering cherry tree
On his walking shoulder held
Under the lion sun

When he was old and blind

He sat in the curved chair
All day by the kitchen fire.
Many hours he had seen
The stars in their drunken dancing
Through the burning-glass of his mind
And sober knew the green
Boughs of heaven folding
The winter world in their hand
The pride of his heart was dumb
Unknown Words:
Cairn - a pile of stones, raised as a monument
Aaronsrod - flowering shrub
Burning-glass - magnifying glass
Sod - surface of the ground
Imagery: The four seasons
"flowering cherry tree": Spring
- the stage when we are born into life
- new beginning, reborn, new hope
- reminder of the beautiful things in life (i think idk)

"Lion sun": Summer

- time for growth and development
- youthful, energetic, active days

Structure
Free verse
No rhyming structure, which implies that his grandfather's life is not
structured.
Only consists of one long stanza - represents one long life.
Random pattern
And the naked thought fell back
to a house by the waterside
And the leaves the wind had shaken
With the dark mouths of the dead
The tongues of water spoke
and his heart was unafraid

Imagery: The four season

"The winter world in their hand": Winter
- time of reflection
- the end of a year (time and life)
- period of coldness and death

"boughs oh heaven folding"; "leaves the wind had shaken": Autumn

- "boughs": the largest branch of a tree
- The season when everything slows down
- a time to remember and appreciate life before winter comes

 Click to see answer

 By carrying out literary analysis. You may also need a highlighter, a pen,
and
 insight. Have fun. ^ fool ^ look at rhyme scheme for end line rhyme always
a
 good place to start. there is not always end line punctuation giving it a
 conversational tone and seemingly being spoken to the reader.the title hints
at
 the mournful tone baxter embodies being called elegyits about his
grandfather if
 you didnt pick that up either..he lived 80 years and never spoke his true
 feelings. gives the image that he is silent and strong and perhaps never
found
 true love.unchanging cairn - remembered after deaththat pipes could set
ablaze
 refers to his grandfathers Scottish heritage and that bag pipes were played at
 the funeral. may show a link to the narrators strong sense of pride and
 belonging in his heritage.the aaronsrod was used by the romans to make
funeral
 torchesfrom his bitter veins born refers to his family at the funeralhigh as the
 head of a man refers to his strength and want to create possibly his job as a
 builder.old and blind shows he went blind and he lost his sense of belonging
in
 the world so sat by the kitchen fire. through the burning glass of his mind
 shows his analytical approach to life. sober knew the green. probably a
 drunk.pride of his heart was dumb - silenced.never truly loved his wife - " in
 song or bridal bed " never admitted his love.the tongues of water spoke - "
he
 was free in death " ferry to underwold.his heart was unafraid. he was ready
to
 die. then do the language features and all and link to themes