Poetry · Chapter
The Barn explained
The speaker reflects on an old barn built under an elm tree, now decaying and soon to be abandoned.
What happens
The speaker reflects on an old barn built under an elm tree, now decaying and soon to be abandoned. The barn's history and its current state mirror the speaker's own aging and obsolescence, as the once-vibrant life of starlings gives way to lesser creatures.
Themes in this chapter
Place and Belonging
The barn, once a functional and lively structure, now stands as a relic of a past purpose, reflecting the speaker's own sense of displacement and obsolescence.
The Cycle of Life and Death
The barn's decay and the shift from starlings to lesser creatures illustrate the natural cycle of growth, use, and decline.
Characters to notice
Key passages
“They should never have built a barn there, at all— Drip, drip, drip!—under that elm tree, Though then it was young.”
The barn was poorly sited beneath an elm tree, which now leaks water onto it.
The speaker criticizes the original placement of the barn, which has led to its deterioration.
“Now it is old But good, not like the barn and me. To-morrow they cut it down. They will leave The barn, as I shall be left, maybe.”
The elm tree is old but still sound, unlike the barn and the speaker, who are both decrepit. The tree will be felled tomorrow, but the barn will remain, much like the speaker expects to be abandoned.
The speaker draws a parallel between his own aging and the barn's decay, anticipating being left behind.
“No abbey or castle looks so old As this that Job Knight built in ’54, Built to keep corn for rats and men.”
This barn, constructed in 1854 by Job Knight to store grain, appears more ancient than any abbey or castle.
The barn's age and humble purpose are contrasted with grander historical structures.
“Starlings used to sit there with bubbling throats Making a spiky beard as they chattered And whistled and kissed, with heads in air, Till they thought of something else that mattered.”
Starlings once perched on the roof, creating a lively, bearded appearance with their sounds and movements, until they were distracted.
The speaker recalls the vibrant activity of starlings that has since ceased.
“But now they cannot find a place, Among all those holes, for a nest any more. It’s the turn of lesser things, I suppose.”
Now the starlings cannot find a suitable nesting spot among the many holes, and the speaker assumes it is time for less significant creatures to take over.
The decline of the barn leads to a shift in its inhabitants, reflecting a natural succession.