NORMAN MACCAIG
SUMMER FARM
THE AUTHOR
 Norman MacCaig was born in Edinburgh, the capital city of
Scotland, in 1910
 He spent much of his life in this and other Scottish cities until his
death in 1996.
 His mother’s family, however, came from quiet rural parts of the
country, and this background is reflected in ‘Summer Farm’
 the locality of the bulk of his poetry is divided between two
Scottish locations. His home city of Edinburgh provided contrast
with his holiday home of Assynt, a remote area in the North-West
of Scotland where MacCaig spent much time, especially in the
summer months.
 The landscape and people of Assynt provided inspiration for his
poetry as well as bringing MacCaig close friendships and a love
for the land.
SUMMER FARM
(STANZAS 1 & 2)
Straws like tame lightnings lie about the grass
And hang zigzag on hedges. Green as glass
The water in the horse-trough shines.
Nine ducks go wobbling by in two straight lines.
A hen stares at nothing with one eye,
Then picks it up. Out of an empty sky
A swallow falls and, flickering through
The barn, dives up again into the dizzy blue.
(STANZA
3 & 4)
I lie, not thinking, in the cool, soft grass,
Afraid of where a thought might take me –
This grasshopper with plated face
Unfolds his legs and finds himself in space.
Self under self, a pile of selves I stand
Threaded on time, and with metaphysic hand
Lift the farm like a lid and see
Farm within farm, and in the centre, me.
METAPHYSICS
 Metaphysics is the branch of philosophy
investigating principles of reality transcending those of any
particular science.
It is concerned with explaining the ultimate nature of being and
the world
 It relates to questions that cannot be
answered in factual terms. i.e. science may tell us how the
universe works, but why it exists is a metaphysical question.
 Consciousness of your own being - which can be burdensome,
frightening, confusing
 Putting things in perspective – from being self-centred to being a
tiny part of something vast/expansive/complex
ANALYSIS - STANZA 1
Line 1- 2: oxymoron: not only is the farm described; it depicts the series
of contrasts that plague McCaig’s mind. Straws exude an aura of
domesticity, nature and comfort, but at the same time are as dangerous
as lightning.  his thoughts which move abruptly and not smoothly like
zigzags. They are tame because he decision he must make is not
dangerous but at the same time can affect his life forever (they sear
through his heart like lightning. The position of hanging is uncertain
and not stable, reflecting his thoughts.
 Line 2-3: oxymoron - Water is typically seen as shiny and glassy but
here it is also countered by the murky green, reflecting the uncertainty of
his future. uncertain of the consequences of selling his farm or
maintaining it.
 Line 4: Symbolism: Nine = odd number, signifying disharmony; ducks
wobble in “two straight lines,” = an impossible task. This reflects the
conflicting sides of a situation when it can be seen in two opposing ways
 Despite his ability to see both sides of the question, his mind wobbles
like the ducks in indecision.

ANALYSIS - STANZA 2
 Line 5-6: This is literally impossible. But it looks with “one
eye” instead of none or two. This signifies a one-sided view
of things. Nothing makes sense. Still, he gropes around for
inspiration out of the nothingness. He picks up a thought
without analyzing deeply.
 Line 6-8: Metaphor “an empty sky” =symbol of
nothingness,
Paradox: “A swallow falls … dives up again” It comes
down in search for food (symbol for inspiration and
substance) but finding nothing, returns to the “dizzy”
uncertainty. The colour blue exudes calmness. The setting,
the barn, is an enclosed room, representing a mind closed
to inspiration
ANALYSIS – STANZA 3
Line 10: ‘I’ persona - He tries not to think because he is “afraid of
where a thought might take me.” He is afraid because such
thoughts can be heavy/daunting/unproductive; he is afraid of the
burden of philosophical indulgence – contemplating existing can
be depressing
Line 11-12: Analogy - grasshopper with plated face, unfolding his
legs = face is rigid, no expression, wants to keep things
straight/simple; unfolding his mind might propel him into
nothingness. What he fears is that like the grasshopper that
jumps, he will tread into the unknown, symbolized by empty
space. There is none of the stability of the ground (which
symbolises the known, mundane/everyday life)
ANALYSIS – STANZA 4
states his conclusion/epiphany:
Line 13: repetition “a pile of selves,” “self under self.” This
alludes to his ancestors who had managed the farm.
Line 14-16: Metaphor: “threaded on time.” - he is the
descendent of a line of farm-owners, he explains that “with
metaphysic hand/Lift the farm like a lid and see/ Farm
within farm, and in the centre, me.” (Russian-dollstructure, he’s trapped in the layers)
 Metaphorically and philosophically, he tries to detach
himself and see the farm from a distant perspective, but:
farm = his identity, connected to it and its past, he belongs
there and makes him him
SUMMER FARM
 I persona is contemplating his identity: farm serves as
analogy but also as a grounded root for his identity
 Tone: philosophical, uncertain, nostalgic,
contemplating
 Style and form: Rhyme scheme AABB for 4 stanzas.
It is regular. The language used is metaphysical, that
is to say, philosophical and associating the poet’s
thoughts with nature. It is highly symbolic. McCaig
was known as a metaphysical poet.
QUESTIONS
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