Theodore Roethke’s Root Cellar is a motivational poem that spreads the message to live and thrive even through the worst, deadly scenarios in life. One should not lose hope and grow along the way, clearing all the obstacles that may come. To describe this concept, Roethke describes a root cellar/greenhouse where all the plants are on the brink (verge) of dying. Foul odours filled the place, making it impossible for one to breathe. In fact, none can imagine living in that place. However, the plants still fight for the light, struggling for existence.
Roethke begins his poem “Root Cellar” on a very disgusting note. It is set in an old dank (damp) cellar or greenhouse that belonged to the poet’s father. In the beginning, the poet exclaims, “Nothing would sleep in that cellar,” stating that the place is too awful for human sharing. The cellar is “dank as a ditch,” meaning it is too gloomy for the eyes.
Roethke uses such words to evoke the senses of dirt, filth, and absolute disgust in readers’ minds. He could have used the word “basement” instead of “cellar”, but he is very much clear in his description of the place and the words he uses. The word “cellar” brings a much more filthy, dingy (dirty), and foul odour of the underground compartment in one’s sense. The first stanza gives a picturesque description of the environment or the condition of the “Root Cellar”.
The speaker further asserts that the “cellar” is too unlit that nobody is capable of being there. The pest-infested (lived) cellar is highly unfit for human living, and nobody would dare to stay and “sleep” in there. “Bulbs” in the second line stands for the predators (hunters), the carnivores (meat-eaters), or the insectivorous plants (to be specific) that come out of their long period of rest to “hunt” for the light that comes from the “chinks,” narrow gaps of the wooden boxes admitting light.
Further, he says, the “shoots dangled and drooped,” indicating the apparent lifelessness of the plants in that dingy, suffocated cellar. The cellar provides the worst possible, unimaginable circumstances to support any life form. The poet, in all, tells us about the dark atmosphere of the cellar incapable of supporting or sustaining the plants.
Roethke states that “Hung down long yellow evil necks, like tropical snakes.” It is a simile used to denote the semi-darkness that makes the long sleek shoots appear “like tropical snakes”. The poet compares the long green stems of the herbs to “snakes” who hang their “evil necks” out of the crates. It seems that the stems wait like snakes to hunt those who live in cohabitation (sharing).
The poet further uses the words “congress of stinks” to mark the worst possible scenario possible. Here, “congress of stinks” refers to the collection of different odours, evoking our sense of smell with olfactory imagery.
The various images of sight and touch are invoked through “Roots ripe as old bait,” “Pulpy stems, rank, silo-rich,” and “Leaf-mold, manure, lime, piled against slippery planks”. The condition of the cellar is the worst. It is filled with utmost filth, foul odours, and waste.
The stems are “pulpy”, indicating their ripeness. The “silo” is storage where grains are kept, and are infected with pests. All the organic matter has begun to turn into compost (manure), and the rotting of this organic stuff has made the cellar planks “slippery”.
Roethke extraordinarily uses imagery to achieve heights of disgust that one cannot even imagine. The cellar is full of grime, slime, and smut, so much so that the levels of one’s perception of the filth are even exceeded.
The poet concludes “Root Cellar” on a highly optimistic note of being determined to survive in the worst of the worst situations. The concept of remaining alive in nature is the survival of the fittest. Living organisms that fit into the criteria not only survive but also evolve for the best.
The speaker states, “Nothing would give up life”. The word “nothing” is used as a metaphor for all the plant species that were inside that cellar. Not even a single plant in the cellar is ready to give up. They refuse to lie dead there. No matter what, they try their best to be alive, whatever it takes.
The poet quotes the perfect example to revive the hope that is dead inside all of us. It goes like this, “Even the dirt kept breathing a small breath”. If the dirt, which is a lifeless thing, is capable of breathing and living in that stinky cell, why not us, human beings?
Works Cited
DiYanni, Robert. Literature: Reading Fiction Poetry and Drama. McGraw-Hill College, 2005.
StudyCorgi. (2021, November 16). The Analysis of the Poem “Root Cellar” by Theodore Roethke from the Side of Stylistics. Retrieved from https://studycorgi.com/the-analysis-of-the-poem-root-cellar-by-theodore-roethke-from-the-side-of-stylistics/
Short Summary:
"Root Cellar" is about how life can find a way to survive even in the worst conditions. The poem describes a root cellar that is dark, damp, and filled with a foul odour. The plants in the cellar are all dying, but they still keep fighting for life.
The poet uses vivid imagery to describe the cellar. He says that it is "dank as a ditch" and that the plants are "dangled and drooped." He also compares the long green stems of the herbs to "snakes" that hang their "evil necks" out of the crates.
The poet uses the word "congress" to describe the smell in the cellar. This word means "a meeting or gathering of people." In this case, the poet is using it to mean a gathering of different smells. The smells in the cellar are so strong that they make you feel sick.
Despite the terrible conditions, the plants in the cellar refuse to give up. The poet says that "Nothing would give up life." This line shows that even in the darkest of times, there is always hope.
The poet ends the poem with a reminder that even dirt can survive in the cellar. This means that even the most unlikely things can find a way to live. The poem teaches us that we should never give up, no matter how bad things may seem.
Here are some of the key points of the poem:
- The root cellar is a dark, damp, and smelly place.
- The plants in the cellar are all dying, but they still keep fighting for life.
- The poet uses vivid imagery to describe the cellar and the plants.
- The poem ends with a reminder that even in the darkest of times, there is always hope.
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