A Kitchen Poem Commentary

By Jackson McDonald

Gwen Harwood’s poem “A Kitchen Poem” is a vivid exploration of the monotony of farm life and how the
tediousness of repetition and education has affected the lives of a simple family. The poem details the
lives of a farming family, living out in the barren country trying to make a living with what surrounds
them. The poem is captured from the perspective of the farmer, almost like a letter to his wife. He
explains the mishaps that has happened from destructive land to the misery of being trapped in his own
house, none of them being able to freely live. The poem is written in eight stanzas, each stanza 4 lines
long with a regular rhyming scheme, telling a story, much like a ballad. The poem can be segmented into
four sections, each section two stanzas long. Through the use of rhyme, personification and symbolism,
Harwood portrays a very dark, depressing life that the persona has and how trapped and isolated the
“four walls” that surround him make him feel.

The first section opens up the world of the persona and displays the beauty that surrounds him and his
family. However, all is not bright and colourful as the words that Harwood uses displays the beauty in a
negative light, which can be linked to the speakers tone of voice. The first line displays the negativity
through the sentence “Now the land shawls itself in gloom.” The word “gloom” provides connotations of
not only misery but also darkness as night time has arrived in the poem. The land is personified as it
“shawls itself” with the darkness brought upon by the night. Along with the following lines
personification of the mountain “[putting] enchantment on”, the personification allows the reader to
delve more into the mind of the persona as the mystique and un-naturalness of the landscape being given
human qualities amplifies the speaker’s feelings. The stanza ends with a physical description of himself
sitting in a “plain-spoken room” disappearing into his own thoughts, as “the cares of day are gone.” The
“plain-spoken room” is illuminating what is going to be a continued idea throughout the poem as it
symbolises the simplicity and lacking intelligence of the speaker. Through this stanza with the tone and
images, the reader can visualise a weary and tired persona, annoyed with something. The section
continues on with the second stanza with a list of annoying animals being “crows, starlings, eelworm
[and] codlin [moths]”. This suggests that the persona is angry or annoyed with these creatures that may
have affected his farm crops. The creatures are symbolised as “nature’s murderous hosts” in the next
line as the flow through his farm and onto another. However, the creatures are labelled specifically as
“hosts” suggesting that maybe the land is owned by the animals, and not by the farmer. The creatures can
be likened to the dark nature of the poem, as day and night, the persona is always worrying about how
these creatures have destroyed his crops, just like how his life is slowly crippling his mind and his
physical state. The section ends with the sentence “Now tired with light my son is sleeping.” This
sentence suggests that both the persona and his son are exhausted from the day’s work, that neither of
them can think of the bad because they are too tired. This section begins the tonality of the poem, hinting
at the intelligence levels of the speaker and the exhaustion of farming and how all these negative things
have impacted so much on the wellbeing and lifestyle of the farmer.

The next section continues with the feeling of pessimism as the farmer goes on to talk about his wife and
family. The third stanza opens up talking about the speaker’s wife as she is bearing his child and cannot
sit still. This continues on with the worries from the first section, as it is not only the farmer that has
worries, but his wife as well. However, the difference between him and his wife is that the wife is
“dreaming herself away from these // four walls to scintillating life.” This presents the notion of
entrapment from the “four walls” and wanting to escape to a brighter, more colourful life. This also
highlights the darkness and gloomy life that the two find themselves in right now. Through the rhyme of
“wife” and “life”, it hints at notion of the farmer’s wife wanting to escape to a better lifestyle, leaving all
her troubles behind. Through this, it also personifies the “four walls” of the house, which are holding her
back, just like the farmer holding her back from achieving what she wants out of life. The fourth stanza
demonstrates the things that are frustrating the farmer’s wife, such as her children and the farmer. The
speaker says things that annoy his wife the most are “brats and all their fierce demands”. This suggests
the wife not wanting anything to do with the children as they have turned her life into a misery. She also
complains about the lack of knowledge, probably from the farmer himself through the sentence “Brains
are put to use.” This suggests that the wife wants to be somewhere more upper class and not on a farm
with an unsuccessful farmer that isn’t getting anywhere with his crops. The wife dreams about a place
where “tongues are cool with wit, and hands unstained by work or walnut-juice.” Through these words, it
is suggested that the farmer’s wife wants to be somewhere tropical and exotic, and not stuck in a bland,
boring farm. The phrase “tongues are cool with wit,” suggests that she is bored and tired with the lack of
interesting things that have happened and the desire to live in a place where people are better educated
and are exciting. Through this section, it can be seen how dark and bitter the farmer’s family is as his wife
wants to escape from the pain and cynicism that is brought upon by annoying children and lack of
education from her husband. This section highlights the overall meaning of the power of human creation
and how people strive for meaning in their lives. Harwood hints at the bigger meaning of humanity.

As the poem develops, an overarching them of being independent and creating an identity is created as
there is a lack of personality and freedom demonstrated by the farmer’s wife. The fifth stanza opens with
an apology from the farmer to his wife, as he appears to cry out for his wife, pleading for her not to take it
out on herself. This is demonstrated through the lines “Dear wife, let keen bluestockings grieve // over
their academic wrongs” this being the plea for help. The bluestockings personified as grieving as if they
were human. The stockings resemble the brilliance and glamour the couple may have once had, but now,
there is nothing and they only their material possessions without any education. Through this
personification and metaphor, Harwood demonstrates the overall idea that material possessions come
and go, but knowledge is what is important. Without having a decent education, life can lead you astray
with nowhere to go. As the poem continues to evolve, it highlights the desire for individuality
demonstrated through the farmer’s wife. This is hinted through “astringent lady poets leave // the real
world for unreal songs;” Through these two lines, Harwood presents the idea that the farmer’s wife
might be a poet and is always trying to create something to show that she isn’t uneducated. This overall
notion of struggling to be noticed and making something of your life is thrashed out in the fifth and sixth
stanza as Harwood paints a picture of “career-mad women” fighting for power “against male dominance”.
The wife is presented as being obsessed with making something of herself; she will do anything to do so.
The general idea coming out shows the oppression that women, namely the farmer’s wife goes through in
trying to create her 15 minutes of fame. However, Harwood establishes the power that the male
population have and how hard women try to break free.

A feeling of distance and separation is created in the final two stanzas of the poem, as heavy symbolism
and metaphor the overarching meaning of the poem. A sense of quietness is created through the lines
“used to each other as to air // we do not speak.” This not only provides a sense of eeriness and
quietness but also symbolises the separation that is demonstrated between the farmer and his wife. This
illustrates the immense pain between the couple as Harwood highlights the silent cry for help presented
through the lack of speech. However, there is a duality created with the silence, suggesting that silence is
bliss, and nothing needs to be said. The following image of the environment links back to the start of the
poem with the images of the mountains and fields. However, this image contrasts with the previous one
as it is suggested to be more beautiful and colourful with “ripening fields and orchards … Orion leads [to]
a waterfall // of stars … // to fruitfulness, your beauty lies.” This is an overall more striking and
appealing image than that of the first and provides a brighter and happier tone to the poem compared to
the rest of the poem’s bleak and lifeless tone. Through this section, there is a large change in tone
initiated with the vivid imagery of the landscape and ending with the symbolism of the last two lines,
“Children and work and daily bread // are rich beneath your royal skies.” These two lines are addressing
the farmer’s wife, suggesting that despite everything bad that has happened, there is still beauty and life
in the family and work that the farmer and wife have. This alludes to Harwood suggesting that the
farmer’s wife is like a queen with “royal skies” beneath her, that everything she really needs is right there
next to her. The overall meaning of the poem suggesting that despite any difficulties experienced, it is up
to the individual to create their own kingdom, their own territory. Once created, then develop their
personal identity and essence of freedom.
Gwen Harwood’s poem “A Kitchen Poem” details the lifestyles of a farmer and his wife. Through the
poem, it is established that women have been placed second to man, and each woman needs to establish
herself before truly becoming someone and have an achievement to be proud of. However, through the
dark and bleak tone, Harwood creates a world full of despair for the couple. Despite all the troubles that
the couple go through, they still succeed with creating their own little world as beauty is in the eye of the
beholder.