Timeless Identity of England within 'The Manor Farm' Ellie Peng 12th Grade

Initially, a scene of harmony seems to be broken by a melancholy illustrating the changing seasons and a knowledge that Thomas has captured only a singular beautiful moment in time. As you read more deeply into the poem, it becomes evident that the beauty lies within the idea that whilst the surroundings seem to change constantly, Thomas could have visited and documented the Manor Farm on any day; it would have been just as harmonious and tranquil as it carries within itself these innate characteristics that have transcended the construct of time.

Thomas illustrates the serenity of the Manor Farm through a quintessential use of light imagery; illuminating the scene with the ‘midday sun’ shining onto the tiles of the ‘steep farm roof’. The sun has clear connotations of energising spirit and clarity of thought that emerges through clarity of sight; the sun provides the light that power the living world. The beauty of the harmonious English country is exemplified through the semantic field of light; however, in ‘The Manor Farm’, Thomas uses the image of the sun to symbolise the passing of time. The ‘midday sun’ is characteristically bright and strong, however, the shadows Thomas casts onto the roof tiles are that of a ‘duskily’...