The Flower-Fed Buffaloes

Explore how either The Flower-Fed Buffaloes (by Vachel Lindsay) or Report to Wordsworth (by Boey Kim Cheng) powerfully conveys feelings about human destruction ?

Uses:

- Symbols
- contrasting visual imagery.
- tone

In the poem called “The Flower – Fed Buffaloes” written by Vachel Lindsay. The poet uses literally techniques such as visual images, tone and symbols, in order for her to convey a strong image about the human destruction of the natural world.

The poet uses visual imagery that opposes one and another, in order for her to create this image of destruction of nature by mankind. At the beginning of the poem, before humans intervened, the countryside was “blooming, tossing” and the “flowers lie low’. These words make nature have an ambiance of calmness, zen, peacefulness and harmony as nature is not disturbed by anything. But this visual image will soon change, as suddenly everything is “swept away by wheat’, meaning that this peacefully countryside is intervened by human activity. This creates an image of nature suddenly being attacked and confronted with mankind and its intentions. The changing of fields into wheat plantation is an example of one of many mankind’s’ intention (this being colonization and industry).

The author also uses contracting tone in order for her to convey feelings about human destruction. Like with the visual imagery, the tone of poem is very happy and serene, as nature is free to do whatever it wants. This is shown by using words like “tossing, blooming” and perfumed grass “ which create this freedom which nature has. But this freedom of nature shall soon be confronted with mankind as suddenly “the locomotives sing”, which shows signs that humans are intervening with the harmony of nature. As now loud locomotives are now in the same environment as nature. The tone of the poem shall worsen and become more sinister as words like “wheels” and “spin” are used , which indicate industry and colonization of mankind. In addition, these words and the tone of the poem at the end (which is very depressing), contradict with the tone of the beginning of the poem. As nature is no longer free and a harmonious things as it is slowly degradated by human presence.

Finally, Vachel Lindsay uses symbols in order for her to develop an image of destruction of nature by humans. In the poem, the flower-bed buffalo does not only represent a buffalo, but it is a symbol for nature and a reference to extinction. This symbol of natures directly opposes the symbol of colonization and industry, which is the “locomotive” and “wheels”. With having this confrontation of nature vs mankind in the poem, the poet further more creates the image of the total annihilation of nature.

In conclusion, the poet succefully uses language devices such as tone, symbols and visual imagery, in order to create an image of destruction of nature by humans