Root Cellar Analysis

Nothing would sleep in that cellar, dank as a ditch,

Bulbs broke out of boxes hunting for chinks in the dark,

Shoots dangled and drooped,

Lolling obscenely from mildewed crates,

Hung down long yellow evil necks, like tropical snakes.

And what a congress of stinks!

Roots ripe as old bait,

Pulpy stems, rank, silo-rich,

Leaf-mold, manure, lime, piled against slippery planks.

Nothing would give up life:

Even the dirt kept breathing a small breath.

.: :.

1. Who is the speaker?

The speaker is the poet, Theodore Roethke. He has created a vivid image of the dark cellar. The poet has dark illustration of the cellar, thus, he must have dark opinions about it.

2. What is the dramatic situation?

It is easily seen on the surface that the poem is speaking of and old root cellar that has mildew and other mold or plant growing in it and is just in overall horrible shape. The dramatic situation is a description of this horrid condition of the cellar.

3. What is the tone of the poem?

The poet has a negative, degrading attitude toward the cellar. The poem is overall a somber, and can be seen when it says the following words: broke, dark, drooped, lolling, mildewed, evil, etc.

4. Are there any clues to deeper or richer meaning?

There is possibly a deeper meaning in the poem that can be seen in the last two lines.
Nothing would give up life:
Even the dirt kept breathing a small breath.
In here the poet is saying that no matter how tough life can be it is not worth giving up. He is saying that you can stick to it and live out life. The deeper meaning is that the whole poem is building up how bad it is to live in the root cellar, and at the end it is saying that it is not worth giving up life, no matter the circumstances at hand.

| Posted on 2006-02-20 | by Approved Guest