Childhood, Mortality, and Growing Up

While the poem describes a fairly straightforward childhood pastime, it’s also a metaphor for leaving childhood vitality behind and growing up. The ripening of the berries suggests a coming of age, or a coming into oneself, as the speaker grows towards the prime of their life. The opening line “given heavy rain and sun” (Line 1) suggests a battering of the elements — both positive and negative. This shows how childhood is shaped not just by good memories and experiences, but also those challenges which are needed to learn. This same idea is suggested in the harvesting process: “briars scratched and wet grass bleached our boots” (Line 10). In each case, struggle is necessary to reap (literally and figuratively) the rewards life has to offer.

The poem uses rich, vibrant language to describe the berries at their best: “its flesh was sweet” (Line 5), reminiscent...