Nature, Time, and the Journey of Aging in "The Old Barn"

Aging Gracefully: Reflections on "The Old Barn"

"The Old Barn"
by Madison Cawein

"Low, swallow-swept and gray,
Between the orchard and the spring,
All its wide windows overflowing hay,
And crannied doors a-swing,
The old barn stands today.

Deep in its hay the Leghorn hides
A round white nest; and, humming soft
On roof and rafter, or its log-rude sides,
Black in the sun-shot loft,
The building hornet glides.

Along its corn crib, cautiously
As thieving fingers, skulks the rat;
Or in warped stalls of fragrant timothy,
Gnaws at some loosened slat,
Or passes shadowy.

A dream of drouth made audible
Before its door, hot, smooth, and shrill
All day the locust sings… What other spell
Shall hold it, lazier still
Than the long day's, now tell:—

Dusk and the cricket and the strain
Of tree-toad and of frog; and stars
That burn above the rich west's ribbéd stain;
And dropping pasture bars,
And cow-bells up the lane.

Night and the moon and katydid,
And leaf-lisp of the wind-touched boughs;
And mazy shadows that the fireflies third;
And sweet breath of the cows,
And the lone owl here hid."

Early this morning, as I sat at my computer and surfed poetry, as I frequently do, I came across this delightful poem by Madison Cawein. I felt an instant affinity with the poem because I felt like "the old barn." I will reach 82 in October and am starting my 83rd year. The saying goes, "You are old according to how you feel." Today, I am feeling old. I don't feel like that every day. Colorado schools are opening here, and kids are heading back.

"The Old Barn" is a vivid, descriptive poem that represents the deep rustic life and timelessness of any structure between an orchard and a spring. Its essence is a celebration of nature, simplicity, and beauty in the mundane.

The barn, "low, swallow-swept and gray," testifies to endurance and continuity. Its windows are ladened with hay, its doors have grown old with open swings, and it still has the same stout support.

In the barn, a Leghorn hen buries her white eggs deep into the hay, part of life's cycle and every day's secret treasures. The black hornet sailing through the sunlit loft with noiseless industry gave up the element of that quality; the rat skulking like a thief added the touch of its untamed, mischievous quality to barn life.

In its first few lines, the poem shifts from inside the barn to outside, describing a hot, lazy day when the constant song of the locust makes the heat almost palpable. It epitomizes the languid, magical atmosphere of a summer day.

As the day wanes, the sounds of nature dawn as the new residents in the barn. The chirping of a cricket, the songs of a tree toad, and a frog create a vision of sound with visions of stars and the setting sun. Cowbells and pasture bars dropping would be images of the workday ending and the gentleness of the night taking over.

A moonlit landscape, katydids singing, the gentle rustling of leaves in the wind, and nature's lullaby are among the auditory lights that accompany the arrival of night on the landscape. Fireflies give it that sparkle with their "mazy shadows"; cows' breath and a lone owl's hoot complete this serene nocturnal portrait.

In this one poem, Cawein has taken in not just a barn but a world teeming with life, sound, and subtle beauty. The barn is a symbol of rural resilience and the quiet, ongoing life that surrounds it and moves in. It is a place of simplicity and a haven for both man and beast, but it is also a cornerstone of the landscape's pastoral quality.

Thus, "The Old Barn" represents not only country life but may also be felt as an emotional meditation on aging. The barn is a figure of strength, resilience, and tranquility. It has accumulated over the years. I am not so sure about tranquility within myself.

The barn is a place of stored memories and experiences, shelter for the young, and witness to the spirit of life handed down from generations long past. Madison Cawein's poem's imagery of nature complements the profound aging journey and celebrates each with quiet reverence.