# Ars Agricolaris explained — Poetry

> Chapter companion for Poetry by Henry van Dyke Jr..

## What happens

An ode celebrating the Farmer's Dinner at the University Club in New York on January 23, 1913, honoring the hard work, triumphs, and honest toil of farmers. The poem humorously recounts battles with pests and nature's unpredictability, extolling the virtues of homegrown produce over imported luxuries, and encouraging farmers to find joy in dreams and a tranquil mind.

## Themes in this chapter

### Duty and Patriotism

The poem honors the honest labor of farmers as a patriotic duty, comparing them to Concord farmers and George Washington.

### Nature and Divine Beauty

Nature is portrayed as both generous and capricious, with the farmer's life yielding beauty and truth.

## Character check-ins

### Unknown

The narrator addresses the farmers directly, celebrating their work and offering wisdom.

### the Master

Implied as the guiding figure behind the ode's moral lessons.

## Key lines

> All hail, ye famous Farmers! Ye vegetable-charmers, Who know the art of making barren earth Smile with prolific mirth

Greetings to the renowned farmers who skillfully transform barren soil into abundant, joyful harvests.

_Opening praise for farmers' ability to cultivate life from infertile land._

> And like the Concord farmers long ago, Ye meet above the 'Bridge' below, And draw the cork heard round the world!

Like the historic Concord farmers, you gather and celebrate with a toast that echoes globally.

_Reference to the Concord farmers and the 'shot heard round the world,' blending agricultural and revolutionary pride._

> Thus shall ye learn from labors in the field What honesty a farmer's life may yield, And like G. Washington in early youth, Though cherries fail, produce a crop of truth.

Through farming, you learn honesty, and even when crops fail, you can still grow truth, like George Washington's cherry tree story.

_Moral lesson linking agricultural work to integrity and the virtue of truthfulness._

> The seedsman's catalogue is all we need To stir our dull imaginations To new creations, And lead us, by the hand Of Hope, into a fairy-land.

A seed catalog alone can spark our imagination and lead us hopefully into a dreamlike world of possibilities.

_Celebration of the imaginative escape provided by seed catalogs during winter._

> May roses bloom for you, and may you find Your richest harvest in a tranquil mind.

May you enjoy beauty and discover that the greatest reward is inner peace.

_Closing blessing emphasizing mental tranquility as the ultimate harvest._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/poetry_10_se/chapters/ars-agricolaris
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/poetry_10_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/poetry_10_se/chapters