Farm Implements and Rutabagas In A landscape 2

What is being dramatized? What conflicts or themes does the poem present, address, or question?

Blake Fletcher

AP English

November 3, 2011

Farm Implements And Rutabagas In A Landscape

The poem “Farm Implements and Rutabagas In a Landscape” shows a conflict between Popeye and his father. The conflict seems to be that Popeye’s father exiled him from his apartment and sent him out into the country. The apartment may be described to be “like a shoe box” but it is a domestic place that seems to be safe from whatever the conflict may be.

The fact that the conflict seems to be between Popeye and his “Wizened, duplicate father, jealous of the apartment” only comes up once but it is a easy way to show why one of Popeye’s worst enemies is in his apartment. This wouldn’t make sense if Popeye were there because most likely there would be some fighting. Also, the use of the word “domestic” in the final stanza, which means family relations, the word links the conflict back to Popeye and his father. Also the word is used to describe thunder, which may be a symbol for physical violence between his father and himself.

Another part of the story that could be vital to the meaning of the poem is how the apartment is viewed. The Sea Hag seems quite comfortable in the apartment even though it is described as a shoe box. While at the same time Wimpy seems uncomfortable in the tiny apartment and possibly trapped. The reason I find this interesting is because we are supposed to believe that the whole feud between Popeye and his father is over this “shoebox” of an apartment. Maybe the author meant to show that sometimes what you are fighting over isn’t really worth the dispute? I know this is just speculation, but they are fighting over some crappy apartment that I don’t think a man like Popeye would really enjoy. I can say that because like Popeye if I remember correctly Wimpy is a man of the sea, so when he isn’t comfortable why would Popeye be?

Altogether, I think that this poems meaning has to do with Popeye and his father. His father is jealous of his shoebox of an apartment and so he exiles him into the country where miraculously he finds the power of Zeus and starts chucking “domestic thunder” around. The fact that the thunder is domestic shows that the major conflict lies within the family. So, the fighting must be between his father and himself. Also, I think the meaning of the fact that this is a family fight is to show how ridiculous fighting can be between families. People fight over everything and sometimes things they don’t even want, and this seems to be a good example of this.