The Want of Peace by Wendell Berry

All goes back to the earth,
and so I do not desire
pride of excess or power,
but the contentments made
by men who have had little:
the fisherman’s silence
receiving the river’s grace,
the gardener’s musing on rows.

I lack the peace of simple things.
I am never wholly in place.
I find no peace or grace.
We sell the world to buy fire,
our way lighted by burning men,
and that has bent my mind
and made me think of darkness
and wish for the dumb life of roots.

Analysis of the Poetry Using the SIFTSEI Method:

S - Sense:
What is the poem about?

This poem is about how people all desire fame, honor, and money, not getting satisfied with what they have, although they might be insignificant. However, the author has exactly the opposite opinion of the majority's. As it says on the second and the third line of the first stanza, the author points out that he does not desire any power. This poem is, thus, about the juxtaposition of the author's point of view and the majority's perspective.

I - Intention:
Why was this poem written? What is the poet trying to tell us? What is the purpose of this poem?

I assume that this poem was written in order to stress the disappointment of the author as people try to harm the environment to satisfy their desire. This idea can be seen from the fourth, fifth, and the sixth line of the second stanza.

F - Feeling:
How does this poem make you feel about the content / personally and what makes you feel this way? How does the poet manage to evoke these emotions in the reader?

This poem made me realize how I was so accustomed to desiring more and more. Since I found myself agreeing with the author's point of view, I felt that I should be a bit more abstemious at times. Personally, the first line of the first stanza caught my attention. To the author, it is a given assumption that everything goes back to the earth. I did not realize this until I read this very line. What the author meant by this, I think, is that whatever we do is going to affect the environment, and that whatever we obtain will not affect us after we pass away.

The poet makes us think that the author has an opposite point of view from the majority of the people by using different subjects in a sentence. On the second line of the first stanza, the author writes that, ""I" do not desire." However, on the fourth line of the second stanza, the author writes that, ""WE" sell the world to buy the fire." The sixth line of the second stanza, "and that has bent my mind " also makes the readers think that the author is disappointed in people for being greedy.

T - Tone:
What tone or vioce has the poet used to convey his message?(Narrative)

The tone the poet uses to convey his message is simple and concise. As you can see, a line contains no more than six words. Moreover, the author somewhat contrasts his point of view with the majority's point of view by organizing them into two different stanzas. This comparison coveys the message that the author's opinion and the majority's are separated.
The author also uses repitition to convey his message, as can be seen from the last three lines of the second stanza. Other than these, the author does not seem to have a particular emotion, making the message even more powerful and determined.

S - Style / Symbol:
What style does the poet employ and how does this affect the work as a whole? What symbols or symbolic concepts are evident in the work and how do they influence the work?

The style of the poem is concise and straightforward. The author does not concentrate on hiding his true meaning by using poetic devices. Instead, the author directly indicates what he thinks, as it can be seen from the second line of the first stanza, and so I do not desirv. This makes the work as a whole sound powerful and determined.

The fisherman’s silence, receiving the river’s grace, the gardener’s musing on rows, fire are the symbols the author used. The first three refer to the little things we appreciate, and the fire represents the desire people have. The first three provide vivid images that help the readers understand the author's point more easily. Fire being symbolized as people's desire does an excellent job at describe how people have a great desire for wealth and how people get to desire more and more just like fire spreads out as time passes.

E - Emotion:
What mood or emotions are evoked by the poet's usage of language / imagery and Poetic devices?

No particular emotion with somewhat depressing and disappointed mood are evoked by the poet's concise, straightforward usage of language and by a perfect symbol fire. (I think I explained this enough in previous questions.)

I - Imagery:
What imagery is employed by the poet?

The imageries that poet employed are visual. The fisherman’s silence, receiving the river’s grace, the gardener’s musing on rows are the imageries created by the author to help convey his message.