Householder — Summary

Dave BontaContemplative

I get my own bit of the globe to bury all my fine things

before bedtime with my wife in the best ground

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The speaker sounds quietly pleased with what he has. He gets "my own bit of the globe," a small private plot of the world, and the title, "Householder," suggests an ordinary man settled into home life. What he does with that plot is odd, though: he buries "all my fine things." Burying is usually what we do with the dead, or with treasure we want to hide, and the poem leaves both ideas open.

The last lines slow things down. "Before bedtime / with my wife / in the best ground" turns the act into something shared and almost tender, like an evening routine. It could be a garden chore, or it could hint at death and a shared grave, since "best ground" has a double ring. Judging by the tone, the speaker isn't afraid. The mood is calm, domestic and a little mysterious, as if giving away your finest things to the earth is a natural, even contented, way to live.

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