Saskatchewan Analysis

It's where the horizon never ends.
The roads are straight forever.
The fields,
stretching as far as the eye can see,
like a patchwork quilt.

It's the cold winters.
The cold wind biting your face.
The drifts against the trees.
The snow days,
of snowmobiling and having snowball fights

It's fishing
and swimming
and exploring the bush.

It's the hot summers.
Looking for shade and coolness all the time.
The hope for rain,
so the crops can grow.
The sweet taste of lemonade on a scorching day.

It's the springs and falls.
That don't know if it should be winter or summer.
Hot one day,
snowing the next.
The grass turning green again.
The wheat ripening,
the crops being harvested.

It's eating in the field.
Camping in the woods
Fishing on the river.
Snowmobiling on the lake.
Mudding in the fields.
Tobogganing down the hills.

It's the place where we live.

This poem, titled "Saskatchewan," which I found on another blog, Maymont ELA 30, uses plenty of imagery, some exaggeration, and the occasional simile or personification to give readers a sensual experience of Saskatchewan, "The Land of the Living Skies."  It is free verse, does not follow any rhyme scheme, however, every verse begin with It's.   

The first two lines in the first verse use exaggeration to give a picture of a land that never ends.  "It's where the horizon never ends. /The roads are straight forever."  The word choice is very important in this poem, and the emphasis put on it by the author creates a higher-level reading experience, by using certain words in the right places.  This awareness allows the author to invoke imagery by using exaggeration, a higher order skill that many poets do not possess. The next (and last) three lines in the opening verse use a combination of exaggeration simile to, once again, invoke imagery.  The author describes the fields as a patchwork quilt, a beautiful arrangement of crops in unique patterns, stretching as far as the eye can see.  This simile combined with the exaggeration, not only invokes imagery, as it invokes thought as well.  Is this simile accurate, or does Saskatchewan take on another shape entirely?  

In the second verse, imagery is the predominant literary device, creating a picture of an entirely different season altogether.  The author jumps quickly to winter from the initial description of the province, creating a compare and contrast effect that continues for most of the rest of the poem.  Through doing this, the author is able to portray a diverse place, different from any other place in the world.  This place, this Saskatchewan is somehow special and unique from where we live, from the cold winter to the patchwork quilt-like fields.  In this verse, the author also personifies the wind: "The cold wind biting your face."  This use of personification is used to help the reader feel the effects of the harsh winter in Saskatchewan, as is this entire verse.

The third verse is very short, describing diverse actions that one might do in Saskatchewan, while transitioning from the cold, desolate winters to the hot, scorching summers.  This part of the poem is deficient, when compared to the other verses, not only in length, but in meaning as well.

The next three talk about the other seasons (summer, spring, and fall) and effectively use imagery to give the reader insight on the crazy weather and exciting events that happen in Saskatchewan every day. There are many great examples of imagery in these verses, but the one most pertinent to my life is the following: "Tobogganing down the hills."  The reason for this choice is that here, in coastal BC, snow is not plentiful.  This particular line shows the greatest contrast between weather in Saskatchewan and weather much of the world, once again giving the reader a greater picture. 

I believe that this poem is superb, giving the reader a reading experience beyond the words.  The last sentence is crafted masterfully, ending an amazing poem on an even better note.  However, it could be argued that this poem is highly stereotypical of Saskatchewan, because most Canadians that I have talked to believe that those from the prairies exaggerate way too much, and their works are therefore devoid of any actual meaning.  However, as a Canadian with connections to Saskatchewan, (my maternal grandparents live there), I can dismiss all of these allegations, as I have built relationships with many Saskatchewanians.  They are very caring, and true to their words, and this poem about Saskatchewan is no different, providing great, down-to-earth insight to life in "The Land of the Living Skies."


    http://maymontela30.blogspot.ca/2010/10/saskatchewan.html