Sonnet VI by James Agee: the poem and Analysis

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The poem 

Season of change the sun for distaff bearing

In your right hand and in the left large rains

And writhen winds and noiselessly forth faring

The earth abroad, and streaming wide your skeins,

When in unfathomed fairness you have clothed

The sea with quiet, the land with painless wealth,

Turn you to those who changelessly have loathed

All and their kind, and grant them peace and health:

The proud stone-parting ardor of the tree,

The glee of ice relaxed against new earth,

Joy of the lamb and lust of bloom-struck bee

Grant to the sick, stiff, spiteful, like fresh birth.

Let this new time no natural wheel derange:

Be ever changeless, thus: season of change.

Analysis 

In "Sonnet VI," James Agee explores the concept of change within the framework of the seasons. The poem begins by personifying the season of change as a figure holding the sun and rains, symbolizing the balance between warmth and moisture necessary for growth and transformation. The imagery of "writhen winds" and the earth being "streaming wide your skeins" evoke a sense of movement and transformation in nature.

Agee then contrasts the transformative power of the season with those who resist change, describing them as "changelessly" loathing all. Despite their resistance, the speaker asks the season of change to grant them peace and health, suggesting a desire for reconciliation or acceptance of change.

The poem continues with vivid imagery depicting the natural world's response to the changing season: the "proud stone-parting ardor of the tree," the "glee of ice relaxed against new earth," and the "joy of the lamb and lust of bloom-struck bee." These images emphasize the beauty and vitality of nature's cyclical changes.

In the final couplet, Agee reflects on the paradox of change within a changing world. The speaker desires a world where change is embraced and celebrated, yet also seeks a sense of stability and constancy. The closing line, "Be ever changeless, thus: season of change," encapsulates this paradox, suggesting that within the constant flux of change, there can be a timeless, changeless quality.