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WHAT THE ANIMALS PAID, by             Poet Analysis     Poet's Biography


"What the Animals Paid" by Robert Bly is a poignant and stark reflection on the nature of sacrifice, the cycles of life and death on a farm, and the broader implications of these cycles for understanding human existence and responsibility. Through the lens of various farm animals and their inevitable sacrifices, Bly delves into themes of obligation, survival, and the inherent costs of living within a natural and social ecosystem.

The poem begins with the image of Hampshire ewes in their pens, immediately introducing the concept of payment through their existence and the products of their bodies – wool, wombs, sustenance, and even their fear. This opening sets a tone of inevitability and resignation to the cycles of use and exploitation that characterize farm life, not just for the sheep but for all animals, including humans.

Horses and pigs are next to feature in this ledger of life, each paying with their labor and lives. The vivid imagery of horses pulling against the earth and pigs squealing at the moment of slaughter paints a visceral picture of the physical reality of these sacrifices. Bly doesn't shy away from the brutality of these moments, emphasizing the personal nature of the blood that is shed, a symbol of the individuality of each animal despite their collective fate.

The transition to human payment introduces a shift in perspective, suggesting that the cycles of sacrifice and payment extend beyond the animal kingdom to affect human behavior and social structures. Women pay with subjugation, and men, including Bly's father, pay with their recourse to alcohol, perhaps as a means of coping with the demands placed upon them or the guilt stemming from their roles in these cycles.

Demons demanding payment "to the last drop" underscore the relentless nature of these debts, a metaphor for the inexorable demands of life and the often harsh realities of rural existence. Yet, Bly himself acknowledges a different form of payment – his poetry. By choosing not to pay "in the farm way," Bly implies a departure from the physical and existential toll exacted by farm life, opting instead for creative expression as his means of settling debts with life and its demands.

"What the Animals Paid" is both a lament for the sacrifices made by living beings in the cycle of life and a contemplation of the ways individuals navigate these demands. Robert Bly uses the farm as a microcosm for exploring larger questions of existence, sacrifice, and the choices individuals make to find meaning and fulfill their obligations. Through this exploration, Bly suggests that while the forms of payment may vary, the act of paying one's dues, whether through physical sacrifice, emotional labor, or creative expression, is a universal aspect of life. This poem stands as a testament to the complexity of these cycles and the myriad ways in which beings, human and otherwise, engage with the world around them.

POEM TEXT: https://aprweb.org/poems/what-the-animals-paid


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