Analysis: Where I Come From by Elizabeth Brewster

STRUCTURE:

3 stanzas of uneven length, the structure is free.
Syllable counts vary but turn around 12.
The indentation in the second stanza is made to follow the first. She wants to show the description of a rural area is in continuation of an urban area, but is still a different idea. The passage from third to first person makes the change more abrupt. The author makes this indentation to show that rural and urban areas depend on each other, need each other mutually. Rural areas give the raw materials and urban areas exploit them to form goods.
The change from third to first person is made softer by the fact the word “I” is only used once in the entire poem. The rest of the second stanza is just a description, so the change is really only notable in the first verse of the second stanza.
There is a larger separation with the third stanza as it is not in continuation of the second, as the second is the first. So the third stanza is set apart, it has an entirely different subject, it is not a physical description, we enter the mind of the author, return to childhood.
No rhyme scheme, once again a free style of writing, the author does not respect the organisation that she notices in the city, “tidily plotted”.

STANZA 1:

“People are made of places”. The author straight off gives her theory about the world, people are formed by their past, the history of their families, where they lived when they were young. We understand immediately that the author intends to concentrate on the physical, not moral aspect of life, “places”. The author considers that in metaphorical way “they carry with them” these places they have lived in, like a suitcase.
“hints of jungles or mountains, a tropic grace / or the cool eyes of sea gazers”. The uniqueness of each persons past is describe in a positive light, they have “cool eyes”, or a “tropic grace”. The word “grace” suggests a delicate beauty, as though they dance when they walk. The places she describes in those first verses are exotic and very natural, they contrast with the later description of the city.
“smell of smog/ or the almost-not-smell of tulips in the spring”. Smog has no smell, so the author is pointing out through that the absence of nature’s smell. On the contrary “tulips” are supposed to have a strong natural smell, but it is covered by the smog, so all that is left is a small memory of a smell. It serves only as a reminder of what the smell could be, if you lived in the countryside.
“nature tidily plotted in little squares”. It is contained into these squares, the city tries to control nature, and through that kills it. Nature is not made to be tidy, it’s made to be free and wild. The verb “plotted” indicates it is planned by humans, like a battle in which you plot to kill the enemy. The repetition of “tidily plotted” later in the poem emphasises the fact that it is unnatural.
The author is describing from a distance, keeping herself objective, just noting the ways in which the city is organised, its different buildings, “museum”, “fountain”, “subways”.
The word smell is repeated many times in this stanza, reminding the importance of this particular sense, and pointing out through it the differences between rural and urban areas.
Human creation is described in an objective manner, but still creates a negative image through a density of dislikable descriptions : “smell of work” , the idea of sweat is not clearly indicated, but implied by these words, “glue factories”, not a very appealing place, strong smell that is not liked, “chromium-plated offices”, very shiny, too shiny, man made, artificial, “smell of subways/ crowded at rush hours.” A lot of sweat and people cramped up in densely, a negative image.

STANZA 2:

“Where I come from”. Passage from third person to first person, from impersonal to personal. We enter the mind, and memories of the author.
The description immediately contrasts with the human creations described in the last few verses of the first stanza, nature is here abundant: “acres of pine woods”, a strong smell, that always evokes nature and calm, there is a feeling as though the author is alone in these acres, silence, “blueberry patches” smell, taste and sight, a beautiful and delicious fruit, the beauty of nature is emphasised, “burned-out bush” like Moses?
The lack of organisation is striking, “hens and chicken circle about”, whereas all types of nature were contained in the city, here animals roam freely, they go were they want. However even when given the opportunity of going where they want they stay in one place, as they just “circle”.
Just as the city had its negative sides, so does the countryside, the hens are “clucking aimlessly”, no purpose, they are just doing nothing. The place is broken down “battered schoolhouses”, the place where education is given (very important as it forms the adult of the future) is a wreck, “battered”, it is not a place to be taught about life. Nature has taken over “behind which violets grow”, even beautiful flowers can be to blame, they have taken over, around the school it is not children we see but “violets”.
“Spring and winter/ are the mind’s chief seasons”. We are now focusing on the author, no longer on physical descriptions. Spring and winter are the longest seasons in Canada, and they also correspond to birth/ rebirth and death. This idea of birth and death is reinforced by the phrase “ice and breaking of ice”, life and breaking of life (death).

STANZA 3:

“A window in the mind blows open, and there blows/ a frosty wind from fields of snow”. Whereas snow may for many constitute a negative, or at the least cold sensation, it is a natural and loved event in Canada. In the countries we live in snow can be a rare occurrence, but for the author, it is a walk down memory lane, back to childhood. When she sees snow, she remembers her childhood, she is back in the “fields of snow”.

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