Sun Our Father by James Agee:The poem and Analysis

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The poem

Sun our father while I slept

You lifted like a field of corn

The smiling and the peaceful strength

Of those that are the race new born:

The infant future waked in you

Once more, and the world's rich breast

Drank the day's courage and lay down

In fearless and refreshing rest:

And while the russian field you raised

Dreams in the starflung shadow's keep

You wake these backward lands to work:

Good work to do before we sleep.

The Analysis 

"Sun Our Father" by James Agee is a reflective and reverent poem that uses the imagery of the sun as a symbol of vitality, renewal, and hope. The poem addresses the sun as a paternal figure, attributing to it a nurturing and life-giving role.

The poem begins with the speaker acknowledging the sun's role in the world while they slept, likening its rising to the lifting of a field of corn. This imagery suggests a sense of growth, abundance, and vitality. The sun is described as imparting "smiling and peaceful strength" to the newborn race, symbolizing the dawn of a new day and new possibilities.

The second stanza continues this theme of renewal and vitality, as the speaker describes the sun awakening the "infant future" in the world. This imagery suggests a sense of potential and promise, as the world is described as drinking in the sun's courage and finding rest in its light.

The third stanza introduces a contrast between the Russian field dreaming in shadow and the backward lands being awakened to work. This contrast suggests a dichotomy between stagnation and progress, with the sun symbolizing a force that inspires action and productivity. The phrase "Good work to do before we sleep" implies a sense of urgency and purpose, as if there is important work to be done before the day is done.

Overall, "Sun Our Father" is a poem that celebrates the sun as a symbol of vitality, renewal, and hope. Through its vivid imagery and reverent tone, the poem conveys a sense of awe and appreciation for the life-giving properties of the sun, as well as a call to action and purpose in the face of the new day.