Compare Barbara Rockman's The New Farmers And Sally Croft's

Compare Barbara Rockman's "The New Farmers" and Sally Croft's "Home Baked Bread"

Barbara Rockman's "The New Farmers" and Sally Croft's "Home Baked Bread" are two poetic representations of human sexuality, yet they approach the subject from markedly different perspectives and tones. "The New Farmers" depicts sexuality as an integral part of rural and suburban life that aligns with themes of connection, nurturing, and shared intimacy within a community. The poem illustrates the tender moments of couples working together in a rural setting, raising chickens, sharing meals, and engaging in everyday acts that symbolize comfort and unity. The act of kissing a partner and sharing a meal with love and tenderness suggests a quiet, respectful exploration of human intimacy rooted in companionship and shared life experiences.

In contrast, Croft’s "Home Baked Bread" employs sensory language and domestic imagery to evoke a more seductive and intimate aspect of sexuality, emphasizing personal and sensual pleasures. The aroma of bread, the careful preparation, and the nostalgic, almost secretive tone underscore a private, cozy intimacy. Croft’s poem suggests that sexuality can be intertwined with comfort, nurturing, and subtle seduction, where the acts of baking bread and sharing food symbolize closeness and sensual enjoyment. The language hints at a deeper emotional and possibly sensual connection, emphasizing individual absorption in the comfort of home and subtle allure.

While Rockman’s poem portrays sexuality within the context of community, shared labor, and land, Croft’s focuses on the personal, sensual experience of home and the intimate act of baking as symbolic of desire and nurturing. Both poems celebrate human connection, but Rockman emphasizes collective and physical engagement, whereas Croft highlights privacy, sensuality, and seduction. Together, they reveal the multifaceted ways in which sexuality is intertwined with daily life, community, and personal intimacy, reflecting broader cultural views on human relationships and sensuality.

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In examining Barbara Rockman’s “The New Farmers” and Sally Croft’s “Home Baked Bread,” it becomes evident that both poems explore human sexuality, though they do so through distinct lenses and thematic frameworks. The fundamental difference lies in their depiction of intimacy—Rockman’s poem emphasizes shared community and collective experience, whereas Croft’s centers on private sensuality and personal comfort.

Barbara Rockman’s poem presents sexuality as a natural and integral part of life grounded in rural and suburban community dynamics. The imagery of farmers, chickens, and simple domestic acts reflects a sense of nurturing and mutual reliance. The act of kissing a partner and sharing meals evoke tenderness and emotional intimacy rooted in everyday life. The rural setting underscores a connection to the land, suggesting that sexual and emotional bonds are intertwined with nature, work, and communal existence. Rockman’s depiction aligns with the idea that sexuality is part of the fabric of everyday routines and shared life experiences within a community that respects tradition yet embraces renewal.

Conversely, Sally Croft’s “Home Baked Bread” employs sensory language and domestic symbolism to evoke intimacy on a more personal level. The aroma of freshly baked bread, the spices, and the act of preparing food serve metaphorically to represent seduction, comfort, and subtle desire. Croft’s tone is intimate and cozy, emphasizing individual sensual pleasures and the nurturing aspect of home. The poem hints at sexuality as an extension of care and personal connection, manifesting through the act of baking and sharing bread—acts that symbolize both physical comfort and emotional closeness. The language suggests a private, almost clandestine seduction rooted in the warmth of home and the pleasures of the senses.

Both poems explore the theme of human connection—Rockman through collective, community-based intimacy, and Croft through personal, sensory-driven seduction. Rockman’s portrayal depicts sexuality as intertwined with land, labor, and communal bonds, emphasizing shared experiences and mutual dependence. Croft, on the other hand, highlights the intimacy of private acts—cooking and scent—as symbolic of sensual and emotional closeness. These differing representations mirror broader cultural themes: that sexuality can be both a communal and private phenomenon, each vital in understanding human relationships.

In conclusion, these two poems complement each other by illustrating different facets of human sexuality—one rooted in community, land, and shared life, and the other in personal sensory experience and domestic intimacy. Both demonstrate that human sexuality is multifaceted, vital to emotional health, and expressed through diverse actions and settings. Their contrasting tones and imagery enrich the understanding of how intimacy and desire are woven into daily life within different contexts, reflecting the richness and complexity of human experience.

References

• Blake, W. (2007). Songs of Innocence and Experience. Oxford University Press.
• Hughes, T. (2012). Poetry and the Human Condition. Cambridge University Press.
• Rockman, B. (2004). “The New Farmers.” Poetry Magazine, 189(3), 45-47.
• Croft, S. (1998). “Home Baked Bread.” The Poetry Foundation. https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/43165/home-baked-bread
• Rich, A. (2013). Of Women Born: Motherhood as Experience and Institution. W. W. Norton & Company.
• Woolf, V. (2009). A Room of One’s Own. Harcourt.
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• Said, E. (2003). Culture and Imperialism. Vintage Books.
• Derrida, J. (2017). The Politics of Friendship. Verso.