Reapers Analysis

Black reapers with the sound of steel on stones
Are sharpening scythes. I see them place the hones
In their hip-pockets as a thing that's done,
And start their silent swinging, one by one.
Black horses drive a mower through the weeds,
And there, a field rat, startled, squealing bleeds,
His belly close to ground. I see the blade,
Blood-stained, continue cutting weeds and shade.


Submitted by Stephen Fryer

.: :.

The dark yet beautiful poem, “Reapers,” presents a theme that only Jean Toomer could deliver. Each line is so intertwined that every word seems to be just another string of spider’s web. He shows that the shift from manual labor to industrial farms is going to be a tough, dark, harsh road. This one stanza poem can be divided into three parts: the whole, the first half, and the second half.
As a whole, “Reapers” presents the inevitable shift from man-power to industrialized farms. The workers in the first lines of the poem have no fault that they know of. The men work as proficiently as possible. They “silently swing” their blades, leaving the peace undisturbed. “One by one” the weeds fall as their “sharpened” scythes cut through the grass. There is no work that is more gratifying and fruitful as hard labor. The work, though hard, brings them a sort of dignity that can only be found doing difficult work. The use of alliteration presents careful, near silent work. The speaker who is watching the affair sounds calmed by the sights and sounds of the working reapers.
Then, exactly half way through the poem, the men are replaced. They are replaced with a machine. This mower has no heart. There is no dignity in it. It brings noise and chaos to the field, “startling” and slicing a field mouse. As the mouse “squeals” and “bleeds,” the mower moves on, the blood from the vermin still fresh on the blade. The mower does not care; the black horses that pull the mower are unaware of the mouse’s agony. There is no compassion or care for anything except getting the job done. This use of alliteration presents chaos. The speaker is in dismay from the shattering of the peace.
“Reapers,” though only one stanza and eight lines long, can be divided perfectly into two parts. The poem starts with the word “black.” The connotation behind this word has always been strong. It could be seen as the color of sin, fear, or despair. In this case, however, it refers to the men in the field. The implied meaning of “black” is shown in a good light: hardworking, thorough, and dignified. The AABB rhyme scheme gives the first and second set of lines a feel of completion.
The first four lines are a complete chapter of the eight-line poem. The words themselves seem to individually tell a story. Yet, the final line, “And start their silent swinging, one by one” ends the first part of the poem. This line paints the picture of the reapers working and then being overcome by black horses. Not only does this line end the first section, it also ends the AABB rhyme scheme.
The last half of the poem, like the first, begins with the word “Black.” The connotation is different this time. The black horses almost seem to be pulling a hearse. Of course, they are pulling a mower. This mower represents an uncaring, lackadaisical, new worker. Unlike the workers before it, the mower can cut multiple weeds at a time. The machine is so efficient that it not only destroys the weeds, but whatever lies beneath. This action destroys the peaceful harmony and brings forth the only unnatural noise mentioned in the poem. The mower commits murder but does not care. It just continues doing its job, despite the fact that the field rat that is lacking half its body. Unlike the workers who just cut what they needed, the mower cuts not only “weeds” but the “shade” that other creatures, like the field rat, need.
The theme that “Reapers” presents comes from the word “black.” The emphasis on this word is obvious. It starts each half of the poem. Toomer uses two different connotations of the word to divide the poem into good and evil. In this poem evil prevails. This provides both the reader and the speaker with a feeling of despair.

| Posted on 2009-03-21 | by a guest

.: :.

The dark yet beautiful poem, “Reapers,” presents a theme that only Jean Toomer could deliver. Each line is so intertwined that every word seems to be just another string of spider’s web. He shows that the shift from manual labor to industrial farms is going to be a tough, dark, harsh road. This one stanza poem can be divided into three parts: the whole, the first half, and the second half.
As a whole, “Reapers” presents the inevitable shift from man-power to industrialized farms. The workers in the first lines of the poem have no fault that they know of. The men work as proficiently as possible. They “silently swing” their blades, leaving the peace undisturbed. “One by one” the weeds fall as their “sharpened” scythes cut through the grass. There is no work that is more gratifying and fruitful as hard labor. The work, though hard, brings them a sort of dignity that can only be found doing difficult work. The use of alliteration presents careful, near silent work. The speaker who is watching the affair sounds calmed by the sights and sounds of the working reapers.
Then, exactly half way through the poem, the men are replaced. They are replaced with a machine. This mower has no heart. There is no dignity in it. It brings noise and chaos to the field, “startling” and slicing a field mouse. As the mouse “squeals” and “bleeds,” the mower moves on, the blood from the vermin still fresh on the blade. The mower does not care; the black horses that pull the mower are unaware of the mouse’s agony. There is no compassion or care for anything except getting the job done. This use of alliteration presents chaos. The speaker is in dismay from the shattering of the peace.
“Reapers,” though only one stanza and eight lines long, can be divided perfectly into two parts. The poem starts with the word “black.” The connotation behind this word has always been strong. It could be seen as the color of sin, fear, or despair. In this case, however, it refers to the men in the field. The implied meaning of “black” is shown in a good light: hardworking, thorough, and dignified. The AABB rhyme scheme gives the first and second set of lines a feel of completion.
The first four lines are a complete chapter of the eight-line poem. The words themselves seem to individually tell a story. Yet, the final line, “And start their silent swinging, one by one” ends the first part of the poem. This line paints the picture of the reapers working and then being overcome by black horses. Not only does this line end the first section, it also ends the AABB rhyme scheme.
The last half of the poem, like the first, begins with the word “Black.” The connotation is different this time. The black horses almost seem to be pulling a hearse. Of course, they are pulling a mower. This mower represents an uncaring, lackadaisical, new worker. Unlike the workers before it, the mower can cut multiple weeds at a time. The machine is so efficient that it not only destroys the weeds, but whatever lies beneath. This action destroys the peaceful harmony and brings forth the only unnatural noise mentioned in the poem. The mower commits murder but does not care. It just continues doing its job, despite the fact that the field rat that is lacking half its body. Unlike the workers who just cut what they needed, the mower cuts not only “weeds” but the “shade” that other creatures, like the field rat, need.
The theme that “Reapers” presents comes from the word “black.” The emphasis on this word is obvious. It starts each half of the poem. Toomer uses two different connotations of the word to divide the poem into good and evil. In this poem evil prevails. This provides both the reader and the speaker with a feeling of despair.
nthrower

| Posted on 2008-12-15 | by a guest

.: :.

The dark yet beautiful poem, “Reapers,” presents a theme that only Jean Toomer could deliver. Each line is so intertwined that every word seems to be just another string of spider’s web. He shows that the shift from manual labor to industrial farms is going to be a tough, dark, harsh road. This one stanza poem can be divided into three parts: the whole, the first half, and the second half.
As a whole, “Reapers” presents the inevitable shift from man-power to industrialized farms. The workers in the first lines of the poem have no fault that they know of. The men work as proficiently as possible. They “silently swing” their blades, leaving the peace undisturbed. “One by one” the weeds fall as their “sharpened” scythes cut through the grass. There is no work that is more gratifying and fruitful as hard labor. The work, though hard, brings them a sort of dignity that can only be found doing difficult work. The use of alliteration presents careful, near silent work. The speaker who is watching the affair sounds calmed by the sights and sounds of the working reapers.
Then, exactly half way through the poem, the men are replaced. They are replaced with a machine. This mower has no heart. There is no dignity in it. It brings noise and chaos to the field, “startling” and slicing a field mouse. As the mouse “squeals” and “bleeds,” the mower moves on, the blood from the vermin still fresh on the blade. The mower does not care; the black horses that pull the mower are unaware of the mouse’s agony. There is no compassion or care for anything except getting the job done. This use of alliteration presents chaos. The speaker is in dismay from the shattering of the peace.
“Reapers,” though only one stanza and eight lines long, can be divided perfectly into two parts. The poem starts with the word “black.” The connotation behind this word has always been strong. It could be seen as the color of sin, fear, or despair. In this case, however, it refers to the men in the field. The implied meaning of “black” is shown in a good light: hardworking, thorough, and dignified. The AABB rhyme scheme gives the first and second set of lines a feel of completion.
The first four lines are a complete chapter of the eight-line poem. The words themselves seem to individually tell a story. Yet, the final line, “And start their silent swinging, one by one” ends the first part of the poem. This line paints the picture of the reapers working and then being overcome by black horses. Not only does this line end the first section, it also ends the AABB rhyme scheme.
The last half of the poem, like the first, begins with the word “Black.” The connotation is different this time. The black horses almost seem to be pulling a hearse. Of course, they are pulling a mower. This mower represents an uncaring, lackadaisical, new worker. Unlike the workers before it, the mower can cut multiple weeds at a time. The machine is so efficient that it not only destroys the weeds, but whatever lies beneath. This action destroys the peaceful harmony and brings forth the only unnatural noise mentioned in the poem. The mower commits murder but does not care. It just continues doing its job, despite the fact that the field rat that is lacking half its body. Unlike the workers who just cut what they needed, the mower cuts not only “weeds” but the “shade” that other creatures, like the field rat, need.
The theme that “Reapers” presents comes from the word “black.” The emphasis on this word is obvious. It starts each half of the poem. Toomer uses two different connotations of the word to divide the poem into good and evil. In this poem evil prevails. This provides both the reader and the speaker with a feeling of despair.

| Posted on 2008-12-15 | by a guest