"Growing Pains"
A small feeble seed covered by dirt,
protected from the harsh winds
and the pains that sting like pins,
unknowing of the flower that grows to hurt.
Bitter nights and piercing hot lights
have long been nature's holding.
The truth's unfolding
to a seedling blinded to plight.
It won't be long
until the apple is bitten.
No story written.
I hear no song.
I felt a leaf just sprout from my side
and out come a stamen and a pistil.
Pine needles shoot down like missiles;
I feel forced to hide.
The innocence I once knew
as a seed, as a child
has long been gone now like my shell and my smile.
I don't know what had happened- I only grew.
Explanation
The predominant themes of Wilbur's poems have been focused on nature and growing up. In this poem, I wanted to combine the two to create a piece that incoorporated a little of every technique, theme and style that he uses. Although it does not include it all, it does reflect many specific qualities that most Wilbur poems contain. The philosophy behind this poem is that of a seedling growing up into a flower. Although one may presume that the life of a flower is glamorous, I try to show the dark side of this concept. Underground, although deemed cold, I tried to make it comforting for the reader as if he or she were the seed. In this manner, the seed is protected as opposed to the flower that must face all of the obstacles that nature presents it such as wind, leaves, and the abrasions that they cause to such a delicate entity. The rhyme scheme in this poem is unique to Wilbur as well following an A,B,B,A,C,D,D,C...etc pattern. There is also an allusion in here: "until the apple is bitten (Line 10), which can be found in Wilbur's poem such as in "Boy at the Window" where he alludes to Adam and Eve as well. Overall, I tried to combine my first two pieces into one compact version that hopefully reflects the writing of Wilbur in its entirety.