Stand Alone Commentary on Nature

The poem February: The Boy Breughel by Norman Dubie describes a snowy morning with icy
trees at the perfect moment when a fox kills a rabbit running away with its prey, then brings the
setting to civilization and shows us a young boy smiling at an ox, acknowledging nature.
Norman Dubie explores the theme of nature by describing hunting of a fox catching its prey
during a snowy day followed by the acknowledgment of nature from a young boy.

Norman Dubie explores the theme of nature by describing the hunting of a fox during a snowy
day in the first three stanzas of the poem. Imagery is used to describe the setting of the hunting
scene “The birches stand in their beggar's row “ "Each poor tree has had its wrists nearly torn
from the clear sleeves of bone”, the use of visual imagery describes perfectly a forest and gives a
clearer view on the situation. There is personification in that passage because a tree doesn't have
wrists that can be torn, this makes an engagement to compare nature to civilization, humanity.
Metaphors are used importantly in this poem “These icy trees are hanging by their thumbs'', this
emphasizes on the vulnerability of the trees during winter with a harsh storm the trues might be
taken off, because “hanging by their thumbs means that they are nearly dead, these trees are
hanging to their lives. More imagery is used to describe the fox killing the rabbit “He has
overcome something white beside a white bush, he shakes it twice, and as he turns for the woods,
the blood in the snow”, this demonstrates the theme of nature through the law of nature “the
survival of the fittest''. The Tone is exciting in this part of the poem which makes the hunt of the
fox feel more interesting. Similes are important in this poem “Two colors like the peppers in the
windows”, this is the link from nature to civilization, because blood and snow are two things
from nature. POV is really important throughout the poem because it marks the end of the first
part of the poem, during the first part the point of view used was the third person. The second
part of the poem expresses the theme of nature through civilization through the first point of
view.

The Boy Breughel explores the theme of nature by showing the acknowledgment of nature from
a young boy after the first three stanzas of the poem. Imagery is used in the second part of the
poem “Smoke comes from the chimneys. Everything is still. Ice in the river begins to move”, this
emphasizes on the theme of nature by making a link of civilization and nature, the smoke that
comes out of the chimney is the result of wood or charcoal burning and humans get those
resources from nature. A Metaphor is used in this passage “The street where an ox who's broken
out of his hut stands in the fresh snow”, a ox breaking out of hut (created by humans) means that
the ox is liberating himself from humans to return back to nature, this points directly to the
liberation of civilization. Another important metaphor is used “Staring cross-eyed at the boy who
smiles and looks out”, this final metaphor demonstrates the acknowledgement of nature, the boy
represents humanity and the ox represents nature itself. Finally imagery is used to finish the
poem “Where the smoky red fox still eats his kill. Two colors. Just two colors ! A sunrise. The
snow”, this visual imagery shows what the boy is looking out at far, and shows the cycle of life
reminding the rule of nature of the survival of the fittest

Dubie shows nature perfectly by writing a poem illustrating the hunt of a wolf for a rabbit during
a snowy morning and the arising of the morning showing a human child observing an ox. The
poem February: The Boy Breughel expresses the theme of nature in a positive way promoting
the acknowledgment of nature by humanity for the continuation of the use of nature’s resources
for human interests. The end of the poem “A sunrise” symbolizes hope and “The snow”
symbolizes nature, this final verse symbolizes the hope to coexist with nature.