In the city, Luke "gave himself to evil courses" and eventually flees the country to hide his shame. Michael is left alone. He continues to go to the sheep-fold daily, but his grief is so heavy that "many a day he thither went, / And never lifted up a single stone." Michael dies, the land is sold, and only the unfinished sheep-fold remains as a testament to his broken heart. Key Themes in "Michael" 1. The Relationship Between Man and Nature
When he was gone, the old man took his staff, And went into the dell. He there began To build a sheepfold, with his own two hands, Hard by the brook. He worked at it by day, And by the light of the moon he worked at night. His wife brought him his food; and often times They sat together, silent, on the stones, Thinking of him who was so far away.
Before Luke departs, Michael takes him to a site where they intend to build a new . He asks Luke to lay the first stone, creating a "covenant" between them. The stone symbolizes Luke’s duty to his heritage and his eventual return. The Tragic Conclusion
. Subtitled "A Pastoral Poem," it famously complicates the traditional pastoral genre by replacing idealized shepherds with a realistic, tragic portrait of an aging man struggling against the economic and moral pressures of a changing world. Summary of the Poem
In the city, Luke "gave himself to evil courses" and eventually flees the country to hide his shame. Michael is left alone. He continues to go to the sheep-fold daily, but his grief is so heavy that "many a day he thither went, / And never lifted up a single stone." Michael dies, the land is sold, and only the unfinished sheep-fold remains as a testament to his broken heart. Key Themes in "Michael" 1. The Relationship Between Man and Nature
When he was gone, the old man took his staff, And went into the dell. He there began To build a sheepfold, with his own two hands, Hard by the brook. He worked at it by day, And by the light of the moon he worked at night. His wife brought him his food; and often times They sat together, silent, on the stones, Thinking of him who was so far away.
Before Luke departs, Michael takes him to a site where they intend to build a new . He asks Luke to lay the first stone, creating a "covenant" between them. The stone symbolizes Luke’s duty to his heritage and his eventual return. The Tragic Conclusion
. Subtitled "A Pastoral Poem," it famously complicates the traditional pastoral genre by replacing idealized shepherds with a realistic, tragic portrait of an aging man struggling against the economic and moral pressures of a changing world. Summary of the Poem