As one of some fat tillage dispossessed

Alan Seeger's As one of some fat tillage dispossessed

Alan Seeger’s poem “As one of some fat tillage dispossessed” is a poignant meditation on love, loss, and the enduring power of memory. Written in the shadow of World War I—a conflict that would ultimately claim Seeger’s life—the poem transcends its immediate historical moment to explore universal themes of human connection, the passage of time, and the redemptive capacity of art. Through rich agricultural imagery, allusions to classical and Renaissance literature, and an intimate, epistolary tone, Seeger crafts a work that is both deeply personal and philosophically expansive. This analysis will examine the poem’s historical context, its intricate use of literary devices, its thematic concerns, and its emotional resonance, demonstrating how Seeger transforms personal affection into a timeless artistic statement.

Historical and Biographical Context

To fully appreciate Seeger’s poem, one must consider the circumstances of its composition. Alan Seeger (1888–1916) was an American poet who, inspired by idealism and a sense of adventure, enlisted in the French Foreign Legion during World War I. He died in battle at Belloy-en-Santerre in 1916, leaving behind a small but significant body of work, including his most famous poem, “I Have a Rendezvous with Death.”

“As one of some fat tillage dispossessed” was likely written during Seeger’s wartime service, a period marked by both intense camaraderie and the ever-present specter of mortality. The poem’s tone—nostalgic yet urgent—suggests that it may have been composed as a farewell or a commemorative piece, addressed to a beloved friend or comrade. The speaker’s awareness of impending separation (“when years sunder and between us move / Wide waters”) lends the poem an elegiac quality, as if Seeger anticipates his own death or the inevitable dissolution of relationships wrought by war.

The agricultural metaphor that opens the poem (“fat tillage dispossessed”) situates it within a long tradition of pastoral poetry, yet it also reflects the upheaval of Seeger’s era. The early 20th century was a time of industrialization and mechanized warfare, where the organic cycles of planting and harvest—symbols of continuity and renewal—were disrupted by the brutality of modern combat. Seeger’s invocation of “garnered ears” (a reference to harvested grain) thus takes on a double meaning: it speaks both to personal reflection and to a world where traditional certainties have been uprooted.

Literary Devices and Imagery

Seeger employs a range of literary devices to convey his themes with precision and emotional depth. The poem’s central metaphor—life as a cultivated field—establishes a framework for understanding memory and experience. The speaker, “dispossessed” of fertile land, sifts through the “yield of these four faded years,” suggesting both abundance and loss. The agricultural imagery extends to the idea of harvesting love and wisdom, framing human relationships as something to be cultivated and cherished.

The poem’s allusions to literary and biblical figures deepen its resonance. The reference to “David’s line” invokes the Psalms, traditionally attributed to King David, which are suffused with longing, devotion, and lament. By aligning his own emotions with David’s, Seeger elevates his personal affection to a spiritual and artistic plane. Similarly, the mention of Shakespeare—“the love that Shakespeare knew”—suggests that the speaker’s bond with the addressee is akin to the profound friendships and loves depicted in Shakespeare’s sonnets, which often explore themes of immortality through verse.

Seeger’s diction is carefully chosen for its musicality and connotative richness. Words like “loveliest,” “lasting gold,” and “deep-drunken rain” create a sensory lushness, reinforcing the poem’s themes of beauty and transience. The phrase “deep-drunken rain” is particularly striking, evoking both nourishment and intoxication—love as something that sustains yet overwhelms.

The structure of the poem, while not strictly adhering to a fixed rhyme scheme, flows with a natural cadence that mirrors the rhythms of speech and memory. The enjambment between lines (“Take then his book, laden with mine own love / As flowers made sweeter by deep-drunken rain”) creates a sense of continuity, as if the speaker’s thoughts spill forth without artificial constraint. This technique enhances the poem’s intimacy, making it feel like a private letter rather than a formal composition.

Themes: Love, Time, and Artistic Legacy

At its core, “As one of some fat tillage dispossessed” is a meditation on how love transcends time. The speaker reflects on the past (“these four faded years”) not with regret, but with gratitude for the “richest revenue” of shared moments. The poem suggests that while physical presence may fade, emotional and artistic imprints endure. The act of writing—of leaving behind a “book, laden with mine own love”—becomes a means of defying oblivion.

This theme aligns with the Renaissance concept of carpe diem (seize the day) and the Shakespearean idea of immortalizing love through poetry. Just as Shakespeare’s sonnets promise eternal life for the beloved through verse, Seeger’s poem offers his affection as something that can be revisited and relived:

“Thou may’st turn here, dear boy, and reading see
Some part of what thy friend once felt for thee.”

The poem also grapples with the inevitability of separation, whether through war, distance, or death. The image of “wide waters” suggests both literal oceans (perhaps hinting at Seeger’s expatriate status) and the metaphorical gulfs that time creates between people. Yet, even in this acknowledgment of loss, there is consolation in art’s power to bridge those divides.

Emotional Impact and Philosophical Underpinnings

What makes Seeger’s poem so affecting is its balance between melancholy and tenderness. There is no bitterness in the speaker’s voice, only a quiet recognition of life’s impermanence. The emotional weight comes from the juxtaposition of warmth (“dear boy”) with the inevitability of parting.

Philosophically, the poem engages with the idea of memento mori—the medieval and Renaissance tradition of reflecting on mortality. Yet, unlike the stark warnings of death found in earlier memento mori art, Seeger’s approach is gentle. He does not dwell on decay but on preservation: the way love, once expressed, remains as a “lasting gold” in memory.

Comparative Readings and Conclusion

Seeger’s poem invites comparison with other wartime poets, such as Rupert Brooke and Wilfred Owen, who also grappled with love and loss in their work. However, while Brooke’s “The Soldier” is patriotic and Owen’s “Dulce et Decorum Est” is harrowing, Seeger’s verse is more introspective, focusing on personal bonds rather than nationalistic or anti-war sentiments.

In the broader literary tradition, the poem echoes the works of John Keats, particularly “Ode on a Grecian Urn,” in its contemplation of art’s ability to freeze fleeting beauty. It also resonates with Walt Whitman’s “Leaves of Grass,” which similarly celebrates love and friendship as transcendent forces.

Ultimately, “As one of some fat tillage dispossessed” is a testament to poetry’s power to immortalize human emotion. Seeger, writing in the face of death, transforms personal affection into a universal offering—a “book” that future readers, like the unnamed “dear boy,” may open to find solace and connection. In doing so, he affirms that while time may erode physical presence, the written word remains an enduring vessel for love.

The poem’s quiet brilliance lies in its ability to speak across generations, reminding us that even in dislocation and loss, art provides a way to harvest meaning from the fields of memory.

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