Where I come from by Elizabeth Brewster

Poem: "Where I Come From" by Elizabeth Brewster
People are made of places. They carry with them
hints of jungles or mountains, a tropic grace
or the cool eyes of sea gazers. Atmosphere of cities
how different drops from them, like the smell of smog
or the almost-not-smell of tulips in the spring,
nature tidily plotted with a guidebook;
or the smell of work, glue factories maybe,
chromium-plated offices; smell of subways
crowded at rush hours.

Where I come from, people
carry woods in their minds, acres of pine woods;
blueberry patches in the burned-out bush;
wooden farmhouses, old, in need of paint,
with yards where hens and chickens circle about,
clucking aimlessly; battered schoolhouses
behind which violets grow. Spring and winter
are the mind's chief seasons: ice and the breaking of ice.

A door in the mind blows open, and there blows
a frosty wind from fields of snow.

Poem Overview

• Theme of identity and place: The poem explores how deeply our identities are shaped by the places we come from. The speaker suggests that we carry elements of these environments with us in our memories and perceptions.

• Connection between the individual and the environment: Brewster shows the profound influence of both rural and urban settings on an individual’s identity.

• Sensory perception: The poem uses sensory imagery to contrast urban (e.g., "smell of smog") and rural environments (e.g., "blueberry patches") that shape the speaker’s experience.

Key Quotes

• "People are made of places. / They carry with them hints of jungles or mountains."

• "A door in the mind blows open, and there blows / a frosty wind from fields of snow."

Underlying Meanings and Themes

• Place shapes identity: The opening line shows that people's identities are constructed from the places they've known, with memories and views shaped by their environments.

• Nostalgia and memory: The poem contrasts a rural past with the complexity of urban life, reflecting on the simplicity of earlier times.

• Contrast between urban and rural life: The poem alternates between the smells and sounds of cities and nature, showing the tension between different environments.

• The mind's seasons: "Spring and winter" represent emotional changes, with "ice" symbolizing coldness and emotional barriers, and "breaking of ice" suggesting renewal.

• Spiritual or psychological transition: The final lines evoke emotional clarity or a revelation about the speaker’s past and origins.

Key Quotes

• "A door in the mind blows open, and there blows / a frosty wind from fields of snow."

• "Spring and winter are the mind's chief seasons: / ice and the breaking of ice."

Poetic Techniques

• Metaphor: "People are made of places" suggests our identities are built from the landscapes and experiences we’ve encountered.

• Imagery: Sensory imagery, such as the "smell of smog" and "violets growing," evokes the different environments the speaker is connected to.

• Personification: "A door in the mind blows open" symbolizes a mental shift or deeper understanding.

• Contrast: The poem contrasts rural and urban settings, highlighting the tension between the two influences.

• Repetition: The repeated phrase "Where I come from" emphasizes the importance of place in shaping identity.

Key Quotes

• "People are made of places. / They carry with them hints of jungles or mountains."

• "The smell of smog or the almost-not-smell of tulips in the spring."

Literary Devices

• Allusion: References to "tulips in the spring" and "blueberry patches" anchor the poem in real, tangible landscapes.

• Symbolism: The "frosty wind from fields of snow" symbolizes emotional clarity or a realization.

• Juxtaposition: The contrast of "tropical grace" and "cool eyes of sea-gazers" with "the smell of smog" emphasizes the difference between natural and urban settings.

• Alliteration: "Cool eyes of sea gazers" uses alliteration to convey calmness and rhythm.

• Symbolism of seasons: "Spring and winter" symbolize emotional states, with spring representing renewal and winter representing coldness.

Key Quotes

• "Spring and winter are the mind's chief seasons: / ice and the breaking of ice."

• "A tropical grace or the cool eyes of sea gazers."

Structure

• Form: The poem is in free verse, reflecting the organic, natural formation of identity through various places and experiences.

• Stanza Division: Six stanzas explore different aspects of how place shapes identity.

• Pacing: The poem gradually accelerates, especially towards the end, where the "door in the mind blows open," indicating a realization.

• Tone: Reflective and nostalgic, with a sense of awakening or understanding in the final lines.