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Pommes de Terre” The plow; the raw September earth; the…

“Pommes de Terre” The plow; the raw September earth; the massive-haunched and mighty-hoofed old bay clomping and farting down the furrow; Father holding the plow, my brother the reins, and me with a sack following, gathering the fruits of the overturned soil – the earth apples… Richly abundant…” quote by Edward Abbey
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““Pommes de Terre” The plow; the raw September earth; the massive-haunched and mighty-hoofed old bay clomping and farting down the furrow; Father holding the plow, my brother the reins, and me with a sack following, gathering the fruits of the overturned soil – the earth apples… Richly abundant, brown fat potatoes, thick as stars, appearing like miracles out of the barren, weedy, stony patch, thousands of big hefty solid spuds, bushel after bushel, a hundred bushels per acre, a mass of treasure from the earth… How our hands and eyes delighted in that harvest, how gladly we dragged our bulging gunnysacks to the wagon…a wagonful of potatoes! Dark, crusted with dirt, soil, earth, cool to the touch, good to eat even raw; we plowed the shabby-looking field and turned up nuggets, plenty, abundance, more than we needed, riches unimagined…””

Edward Abbey

About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

The poem celebrates the abundance and wonder of a potato harvest, highlighting gratitude for nature’s bounty and hard work.

In simple terms: Hard work yields a plentiful harvest that inspires joy and gratitude.

Key Takeaway

Appreciate the fruits of labor and nature.

Themes

gratitude labor abundance nature

Mood

joyful reflective

Type

poetic celebratory

When to use this quote

  • farming
  • family teamwork
  • culinary tradition
  • seasonal celebration

Key Concepts

harvest sustainability joy

Questions to Reflect On

  • How does gratitude change our relationship with food?
  • What responsibilities come with abundant harvests?
A Different Perspective

The focus on material abundance may overlook ecological impact of intensive farming.

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