The Happy Hen by James Agee: The Poem and Analysis

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The Poem

(To Dr. Marie Stopes et al., and to all scientific lovers)

His hottest love and most delight

The rooster knows for speed of fear

And winds her down and treads her right

And leaves her stuffed with dazzled cheer,

Rumpled allwhichways in her lint,

Who swears, shrugs, redeems her face,

And serves to mind us how a sprint

Heads swiftliest for the state of grace.

I loitered weeping with my bride for gladness

Her walking side against and both embracing

Through the brash brightening rain that now the season

       changes

White on the fallen air that now my fallen

                                   the fallen girl her grave effaces.

Analysis 

James Agee's poem "The Happy Hen" is a complex and enigmatic exploration of love, nature, and mortality. The poem opens with a dedication to Dr. Marie Stopes, a renowned advocate for birth control and women's rights, as well as to "all scientific lovers," suggesting a connection between the natural world and human relationships.

The poem's first stanza describes the rooster's passionate courtship of the hen, portraying it as a primal and instinctual act. The rooster's love is described as "hottest," emphasizing its intensity and immediacy. The imagery of the hen being "winds her down and treads her right" is both sensual and violent, underscoring the rawness of nature's impulses.

In the second stanza, the hen is depicted as "rumpled allwhichways in her lint," suggesting a sense of disarray or confusion after the rooster's advances. Despite this, the hen "swears, shrugs, redeems her face," implying a sense of acceptance or resignation to her fate. This imagery can be seen as a metaphor for the complexities of human relationships, where love and conflict often coexist.

The final stanza of the poem shifts abruptly to a more personal and introspective tone. The speaker describes himself as "loitered weeping with my bride for gladness," suggesting a mix of emotions that include both joy and sorrow. The image of walking "side against and both embracing" evokes a sense of unity and mutual support, even in the face of life's challenges.

The poem concludes with a stark and haunting image of rain falling on a grave, symbolizing the passage of time and the inevitability of death. The phrase "the fallen girl her grave effaces" suggests a sense of loss and impermanence, highlighting the fragility of life and the transient nature of love.

Overall, "The Happy Hen" is a rich and multifaceted poem that explores themes of love, nature, and mortality. Through its vivid imagery and evocative language, Agee invites readers to reflect on the complexities of human relationships and the fleeting beauty of life.