Analysis Of Beauty By James Hearst

Analysis: “Beauty” James Hearst wrote the poem “Beauty” along with many others. He grew up on a farm in Iowa. At nineteen years old, he was celebrating his leave from the military when he dove into the Cedar River. Hearst’s life changed that day; he became paraplegic after the incident. For a while after the accident, he could still work on the farm, but his condition later worsened. Hearst used poetry to cope with his disability. His hate for his disability was communicated through his disability. He felt as if the day he dove into the river ruined his life. Hearst felt alone after his accident, even though he was surrounded by many people. He wrote many poems and taught at the University of Northern Iowa. After he died, his house became an art museum. …show more content…
This poem has a narrator, who seems to be Hearst, that forgets about his disability for a short time. God gives him his wonderful ability to write “Like Christ in a miracle bringing life to the dead.” Then Hearst is brought back to reality about his disability. He realizes that he cannot walk or run or do the things he wants to. He can’t farm like he used to be able to. Hearst is still young, and he wants to be able to enjoy his twenties with his friends. He is dreaming of being able to do the things that he used to with his friends and family. Hearst uses powerful imagery to create pictures of the farmstead. Hearst uses descriptions like, “...the rain was beginning to fall/ while the whips of lightning were cracking above my head/ and watched the rain fingers lift my sun-beaten corn” (11) to describe the storm that is happening. The crops are in need of water, and the rain is saving them. The rain is bringing life back to the corn. In the poem, it also states, “I stood there drenched to the skin” (Hearst 11). This helps create an image of the disappointed Hearst coming to the realization that things haven’t