I’ve written more than one poem with a line or two around plowing a field. I learned to plow on a Farmall Cub tractor, later using our Ford 2000 to turn the ground “in” during the fall and “out” in spring. Turning the ground “in” means laying one furrow beside the next as you progressively turn in larger circles. After plowing, we’d hook up the harrow to break up the furrows into smoother, finer earth. The final attachment is a cultivator - making rows for planting. (And later using the cultivator to weed and turn the ground between rows.) It’s hard, but peaceful, driving a tractor and working the earth. I cherish the memories. Beyond all of that, though, there’s a treasure trove of history around plowing.
For one thing, there’s terrific terminology around horse-drawn plows. We could talk about the “angle of the draught chain,” “doubletree,” and “moving the hake.” (See the Small Farmers Journal reference below for explanations :-) Thanks to a conversation with a farming friend of mine, I can also point you to another great website, “Welker Farms” in Montana. I thought the farm equipment I pass sometimes driving through the eastern part of N.C. was massive, but the operation in Welker country is unbelievable. Back to my little patch of truck crop heaven, what does all this have to do with writing?
Breaking new ground and properly preparing it before planting helps ensure successful crops. Similarly, there are some things we can do before, or in parallel with, drafting a new novel, poem, commercial fiction, etc. Even for a poem, I think about the people who appear and the setting where they appear. For my prose, I interview the characters - try to find out more about them. Why they are who they are, and so on. I also graph the arc of the plot, inserting characters, and their challenges to be sure the story progresses appropriately. (That is, with tension, mystery, and surprises.) Once the book or collection of poems is ready for “harvest,” then a whole other set of processes kicks in. But for now, look at the wonder of a blank page as an empty field. Then, let yourself feel the excitement around seeing what appears when the creative earth is turned and prepped for your next book or other artistic work!
Photo credit: Dee Stribling Creative
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