Question

How does the poet, Ted Kooser, portray the aftermath of a traumatic event in the poem “Abandoned Farmhouse?” Use text evidence to support your answer.

Answer 1

Answer: Through describing the objects left behind when the family evacuated the house, Kooser portrays the aftermath of a traumatic event.

Explanation:

“Abandoned Farmhouse” is a poem about a family (a mother, father and a child) which lived in a farmhouse. They were happy out there, until something terrible suddenly happened, and they had to leave the farmhouse. It remains uncertain whether the war broke out or something else happened. They probably had to leave as soon as possible, since all their possessions were left behind.

The tone of the poem is melancholic - the house is described as empty and quiet. Kooser describes the kitchen and the wall decoration, assuming that the mother decorated it. There are also toys that belonged to a child. These abandoned objects suggest that this was once a place of happiness and joy, where family members spent their time together. They also serve as clues about the people that lived there - for instance, by the length of the bed, the speaker concludes that the father was a rather tall man. Kooser also includes a description of preserved food and window frame rags, which suggests that the family was quite poor.