The Blowing Bronze Butterfly

James Wright's poem Lying in a Hammock at William Duffy's Farm in Pine Island, Minnesota is quite the descriptive, picturesque poem. The fact that his exact location is in the title already paints a picture in your mind. There is absolutely no debate over where he is and what he is doing in that place. His observations, however, and detail, make for the bells and whistles that accent his state of mind and place. Lying in a Hammock already sounds comforting, but the first line is what truly captured my attention. The alliteration within in the phrase "Over my head, I see the bronze butterfly, Asleep on the black trunk, Blowing like a leaf in the green shadow," already gives the reader a beautiful, bouncing, vibe that acts quite like the flight of a butterfly. The butterfly being asleep, yet "blowing like a leaf" reminds me of his own personal state of rocking in a hammock, quiet and observant. His view goes from the trunk of the tree, up to the fields and the cows retreating with their ringing bells, and then finally up into the sky, alluring that although he is being descriptive and observant of his surroundings, he is actually looking around to learn something about himself...which is why the non-descriptive thought of "I have wasted my life" comes at such a surprise. He sees all the beauty around him and then dies back into his own mind. What he means, however, by "I have wasted my life" still confuses me. Overall, Lying in a Hammock relays a beautiful picture to the reader.