The Daily Poem

James Matthew Wilson's "Agricola: A Song for Planting

Nov 22, 2024

In a deep dive into James Matthew Wilson’s poem 'Agricola,' the discussion reveals themes of hope and failure in agriculture. The speakers analyze the intricate structure and meter, highlighting the relationship between human agency and divine influence. Resilience emerges as a central message, reminding listeners that amidst life's challenges, there is always room for growth. It's a compelling examination of how we underestimate our own capabilities while grappling with greater existential questions.

07:45

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Quick takeaways

Wilson's poem 'Agricola' uses agricultural metaphors to explore the tension between human efforts and divine influence in personal aspirations.

The cyclical nature of seasons in the poem symbolizes resilience, emphasizing that life’s struggles do not define the overall journey.

Deep dives

Exploration of Agricultural Themes

The poem 'Agricola' by James Matthew Wilson delves into the agricultural cycle, emphasizing the themes of planting, harvesting, and the inevitable challenges associated with these processes. The speaker reflects on their limited efforts, likening the act of sowing seeds to personal aspirations that often do not flourish due to unfavorable conditions, such as drought and poor soil. This metaphor of farming serves as a profound representation of life’s struggles, where each cycle represents hopefulness in the spring and the stark reality of loss by autumn. By drawing parallels with biblical agricultural parables, the poem examines the tension between human efforts and divine influence in shaping outcomes, ultimately questioning the nature of success and failure in our endeavors.

The Cycles of Growth and Loss in 'Agricola'

8min

Today’s poem, from Wilson’s 2018 The Hanging God, takes a candid look at all the ways we overestimate, misunderstand, misrepresent, and undervalue our own human agency–all while leaning heavily on plenty of unspoken implications about the agency of God. Happy reading.

James Matthew Wilson is the Cullen Foundation Chair in English Literature and the founding director of the MFA program in Creative Writing at the University of Saint Thomas.The author of fourteen books, his most recent collection of poems is Saint Thomas and the Forbidden Birds(Word on Fire, 2024). The Strangeness of the Good (2020), won the poetry book of the year award from the Catholic Media Awards. The Dallas Institute of Humanities awarded him the Hiett Prize in 2017; Memoria College gave him the Parnassus Prize, in 2022; and the Conference on Christianity and Literature twice gave him the Lionel Basney Award.In addition to his role at the University of Saint Thomas, he serves as poet-in-residence of the Benedict XVI Institute, scholar-in-residence of Aquinas College, editor of Colosseum Books, and poetry editor of Modern Age magazine.Wilson was educated at the University of Michigan (B.A.), the University of Massachusetts (M.A.), and the University of Notre Dame (M.F.A., Ph.D.), where he subsequently held a Sorin Research Fellowship. Wilson joined the University of Saint Thomas, Houston, in 2021, when he co-founded the Master of Fine Arts program.

-bio via Wilson’s website

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The Daily Poem

James Matthew Wilson's "Agricola: A Song for Planting

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

Deep dives

Exploration of Agricultural Themes

Cycles of Hope and Reflection

Remember Everything You Learn from Podcasts