This poem beautifully captures a stark contrast between North and South, presenting a vivid dichotomy of industrial prosperity versus environmental hardship. Through compelling imagery such as “thawing fields wear silver crowns” and “parched horizons crack beneath the sun,” Sarah B. Royal evokes a powerful sense of place and the distinct struggles faced by each region.
The nuanced focus on societal and environmental challenges, from the roaring “iron mills” to the South’s “drought and debt,” brings the reader face-to-face with disparities that feel timeless yet immediate. The underlying commentary on climate change—”glaciers retreat, coastlines swell and fray”—ties these divisions into a shared global fate, urging a call to compassion and unity in the final lines.
The rhythm and balance of the piece mirror the tension—a poetic parallel that enhances its emotional impact.
WoPoLi 
Leave a comment