Ted Kooser's Poem 'Abandoned Farmhouse'

The title “Abandoned Farmhouse” by Ted Kooser suggests that a family had to flee their farmhouse for some reason. The word “abandoned” has a negative connotation and gives the poem a mysterious and eerie feeling. “Farmhouse” indicates that the poem takes place in a rural area and that life is simple. “Abandoned Farmhouse” is a narrative poem that depicts the story of a vacant home. When the speaker says “the fields cluttered with boulders and the leaky barn,” he is emphasizing the chaotic state of the farm that he is talking about. The “weed-choked yard” not only refers to the yard itself but also the family who lived in the farmhouse. There are many references to The Great Depression throughout the poem and it is almost as if the poverty

When the speaker employs the simile “its toys are strewn in the yard/ like branches after a storm,” he is referring to the stress that even the children experienced in the times of The Great Depression. There is a certain innocence and ignorance that children have and The Great Depression most definitely robbed some children of that security. The speaker personifies all the characteristics of the farmhouse by giving them the human trait of being able to say something. This gives the poem an archaic presence. It shows that even after people are gone, their possessions remain. People’s belongings can tell a story about their life and give clues as to how they lived. Sound effects are used throughout the poem as a sort of subliminal messaging. “A good, God-fearing man” is an example of alliteration snd it serves to create a rhythm for the line. Another example of alliteration is, “Bible with a broken back.” This too creates rhythm and beauty to the poem. The Bible with the broken back also enforces how hard of a time they are going through in The Great Deppresion. The worn state of the Bible shows how prevalent religion was in this small