Point of View

This poem is told from the first-person perspective using the pronoun “I”: “I always felt like crying” (Line 22). However, this pronoun doesn’t occur until almost the end of the poem; more often it’s “we” and “us,” representing the speaker and at least one companion who is referred to as you: “You ate that first one” (Line 5). While there are at least two children present in the poem, the traditional element of the activity suggests it might be a group of friends undertaking this harvesting practice. While the focus is on the speaker’s friends and the wider world at the beginning of the poem, the perspective tightens and shifts inwards as the poem progresses.

Language and Meaning

The language in the poem is the straightforward vernacular speech of the rural countryside. Certain moments reflect the poem’s setting, such as the mention of...