The Golden Years
All I do these drawn-out days
is sit in my kitchen at Pheasant Ridge
where there are no pheasants to be seen
and last time I looked, no ridge.
I could drive over to Quail Falls
and spend the day there playing bridge,
but the lack of a falls and the absence of quail
would only remind me of Pheasant Ridge.
I know a widow at Fox Run
and another with a condo at Smokey Ledge.
One of them smokes, and neither can run,
so I’ll stick to the pledge I made to Midge.
Who frightened the fox and bulldozed the ledge?
I ask in my kitchen at Pheasant Ridge.
is sit in my kitchen at Pheasant Ridge
where there are no pheasants to be seen
and last time I looked, no ridge.
I could drive over to Quail Falls
and spend the day there playing bridge,
but the lack of a falls and the absence of quail
would only remind me of Pheasant Ridge.
I know a widow at Fox Run
and another with a condo at Smokey Ledge.
One of them smokes, and neither can run,
so I’ll stick to the pledge I made to Midge.
Who frightened the fox and bulldozed the ledge?
I ask in my kitchen at Pheasant Ridge.
Personal REaction
When I read the poem the first time, I felt like it had no meaning to it. Once I read it again, I started to realize that it actually represented something and it started to actually intrigue me and cause me to think about it a bit. After I figured out what it meant or could mean, I found the poem very enjoyable to reread a few times. The line "Who frightened the fox and bulldozed the ledge?" really caught my attention, and also confused me the most. I wasn't sure if he meant that someone literally scared the fox and bulldozed the ledge or if he was using a comparison to represent something else. It made me think quite a bit, and later helped me understand the poem.
ANAlysis
People usually think of the term "Golden Years" as the best and the happiest years, which is what this poem is describing. Collins uses examples of places that were once thriving and beautiful to describe how the world has changed overtime. He explains how his days are now more "drawn-out" and how he just sits in his kitchen in a place that isn't as appealing as it sounds. His use of diction describing modern times helps him to better explain how the world was a while ago during the so called "Golden Years." The quote "But the lack of falls and the absence of quail" also supports his point that the once beautiful world isn't as exciting and beautiful as it was during the happier years. When Collins asks at the end, "Who frightened the fox and bulldozed the ridge?" he is curious about who or what took away the gorgeous scenes that nature once had. To conclude, Collins uses a comparison between a time years ago and more modern times to explain how the world has changed.