Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"The Last Muster" by William Henry Ogilvie is a poignant poem that touches upon themes of nature, greed, and man's responsibility towards animals and the environment. The poem primarily focuses on the impact of human greed on nature and its creatures, and the subsequent consequences. Ogilvie's narrative is laced with vivid imagery and metaphors that highlight the contrasting scenes of suffering and dream-like prosperity.

Theme Analysis:

Human Greed and Nature's Suffering: The poem presents a critique of human greed and the devastating consequences it has on nature. It portrays the suffering of animals - sheep, cattle, horses - due to drought and the human misuse of natural resources, symbolizing the destructive impact of human activity on the environment.

Responsibility and Blame: The poem explores themes of responsibility and blame. It puts forward the idea that human beings, driven by their greed, are to blame for the suffering of animals and the destruction of the environment. The blame isn't directed towards divine entities but solely towards mankind.

The Dream and Reality: The contrast between the dream sequence and harsh reality serves to highlight the damage inflicted on nature. The dream represents an idyllic state where animals are well-nourished and free from suffering, a stark contrast to the harsh reality depicted in the rest of the poem.

Poetic Devices:

Imagery: The poem uses vivid and detailed imagery to portray the harsh reality of drought-stricken lands and the suffering of animals, as well as the dream-like abundance and prosperity.

Symbolism: The cattle in the dream sequence can be seen as a symbol for prosperity and abundance, as opposed to the suffering animals in the real world. The silver moon and star-fenced pastures symbolize a utopia, a paradise that starkly contrasts with the reality of the situation.

Metaphor: The 'star-fenced pastures on God's own rivers' represents an idealized afterlife or heaven for the animals, free from human greed and destruction.

Personification: The fences are personified as "flaunting red skins like flags," suggesting they are showing off the signs of death and drought.

Alliteration: The poem makes use of alliteration to provide rhythm and emphasis to the narration, for example, "beasts were slaughtered by man of his greed's design".

"The Last Muster" offers a poignant critique of human greed and its destructive impact on nature, presenting a powerful call for responsible stewardship of the natural world

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