Readings of Pampas Grass

Power in the Garden

How both poets use gardens - don't only have one reading - many people only knew male+ female conflict

  • Simon Armitage uses the garden to explore power dynamics.

  • Narrative first-person voice reflects on moments where we "overkill."

  • Stanza 4:

    • Imagery: "This was the sledgehammer taken to crack the nut." about

    • "Overkill" - caesura, definitive full stop.

    • Reflects on excessive power; the narrator is reflecting on his actions.

    • Pouring paraffin and lighting it.

    • Mild irritation with the pampas grass and its "ludicrous feathers."

  • The poem explores excessive/ridiculous power.

  • The garden illustrates the foolishness and occasional lack of success in exercising power.

  • Gardens show the ridiculous nature of human reaction and need to quash everything in its path.

Nature as a Source

  • Gardens as a source of nature; Ecological reading.

  • The garden isn't allowed to develop wildly.

  • Pampas grass taking light from cuttings of bulbs.

  • Gardener allowing other plants to survive.

  • Curating a garden can be positive for all plants.

  • Man-made intervention in the garden is aggressive.

  • Chainsaw as "raping" nature.

    • "I took the saw and drove it vertically downwards into the upper roots. The blade became choked like cutting water or air with a knife."

    • Aggression and a sexual, somatic field.

    • "I ripped into pockets of dark secret warmth."

    • Unnatural action.

  • Gardener is also taking care of nature, allowing other plants to survive.

Rebirth and Triumph of Nature

  • Rebirthing and Triumph of nature; Hopefulness at the end.

  • New shoots came up like asparagus tips.

  • Pampas grass is "riding high in its saddle wearing a new crown."

  • Triumph of the pampas grass; King of nature; Strong and returning.

  • Biblical allusion: "Called in Egypt."

    • Book of Genesis; Jacob and plentiful corn in Egypt.

    • Pampas grass resembling corn.

    • The world is resilient and will always produce food.

    • Mankind can try to destroy it, but nature is resilient.

  • Chainsaw put away "under its stairs" and seething.

  • Pampas grass is flourishing.

  • Resilience of nature and rebirth, providing hope despite destruction. _n