The+Custodian+of+a+Field+of+Whiskey+Bushes+By+the+Nolichucky+River+Speaks,+Jonathan+Williams

To the plain eye, __The Custodian of a Field of Whiskey Bushes By The Nolichucky River Speaks__ is just a poem about a southern man, drunk, talking to himself. To the overlooking eye, this a genius speaking from the heart with his soul. To others, he’s just a man. A few 8th graders braved up and tried their best to analyze and evaluate this short poem. Here is their evaluation.

The poem is free verse; the poem goes from a line to a shorter line, then to an even shorter line each stanza. The poem follows in the same way for the first three stanzas, then, on the last stanza, there is one stanza with a long line then a short line. There is no basic or known rhyme or meter, except for lines 3 and 8(night and right). The poem brings to mind (or at least Krazy’s) the image of a man, probably southern or rural (country), lying on a field, drinkin (and sippin and tastin) a beer. Also, the poem gives insight to the idea of him being inebriated(drunk) as indicated by lines 6 and 7,

“sippin and tastin and lookin agin the moon at them sorta fish eyes in the jar”(Williams).

Krazy_Fiend said,”This poem symbolizes the laid back natural state of mind of the southern man (man meaning the southern community). This poem tries to capture the scene and feeling of a southern man in his prime, where he finds himself most, //in-tune // with himself. There, he knows he’s what he truly is, a man, in touch with what he is, beer in hand and in the state of intoxication that is right for him.” Ceg098said,”I understand this poem as describing the way a southern person relaxes by drinking at night under the moons and stars. The poem shows how the man feels and how he enjoys it. The person must like being drunk since he feels good.” Bp14 said,”I think that when the writer said ‘took me a pecka real ripe tomaters’, I think he was referring to the boys at the end when he said ‘boys I’m talkin about somethin good."

Whether our narrator was having a heart-filled talk with some boys or he was just rambling on as any drunk will do, we three agree among ourselves that this man was just relaxing and being true to himself the best way he could, a bottle of whiskey in his hand, the grass under him, and the stars and moon above. Though we just refer to him as a drunk, laying wasted across the lawn, or even if we think of him as some philosophical scholar exploring life’s meaning, we see him as he truly is. 

He’s talkin about somethin good. 

*Reviewed by Krazy_Fiend, bp14, ceg098  *Edited by Krazy_Fiend