Nature by H.

D Carberry
Biodata of H. D. Carberry, 1921-1989

Hugh Doston (Dossie) Carberry was born July 12, 1921, the son of sir John Carberry, a former
Chief Justice of Jamaica, and Lady Georgina Carberry, in Montreal, Canada. He came to Jamaica in
infancy and spent most of his life there. He had his primary education at Decarteret school in
Mandeville, Jamaica and then attended Jamaica College. After working with the Civil Service, to
which he qualified as second out of over 100 applicants, Carberry went to St. Catherrine College,
Oxford University, where he obtained his B. A. and B. C. L.. He read Law at Middle Temple and
was called to the Bar in 1951, then returning to Jamaica to engage in private practice.
In 1954, Carberry married Dorothea, and they had two sons, Martin and John, and a daughter,
Christine. In addition to his career in law, Carberry was a poet and gave outstanding service in
the cultural field, being a member of the Managing Committee of the Little Theatre since 1951. A
devout Christian, he was also a pillar of the Providence Methodist church as Class Co-leader.

Carberry was Clerk to the Houses of Parliament from 1969-1978 and a member of the
commonwealth Parliamentary Association. He was appointed Judge of the Jamaican court of
appeal in 1978 and served for a decade. H. D. Carberry died on June 28, 1989.

Nature by H.D. Carberry

We have neither Summer nor Winter
Neither Autumn nor Spring.
We have instead the days
When the gold sun shines on the lush green canefieldsMagnificently.
The days when the rain beats like bullet on the roofs
And there is no sound but thee swish of water in the gullies
And trees struggling in the high Jamaica winds.
Also there are the days when leaves fade from off guango trees
And the reaped canefields lie bare and fallow to the sun.
But best of all there are the days when the mango and the logwood blossom
When bushes are full of the sound of bees and the scent of honey,
When the tall grass sways and shivers to the slightest breath of air,

When the buttercups have paved the earth with yellow stars
And beauty comes suddenly and the rains have gone.
SYNOPSIS
The poem tells of the weather conditions in Jamaica although it does not have the four seasons of
spring, summer, autumn and winter. The weather conditions of golden sunny days and wet rainy
days are just as good and are almost equivalent to the four seasons.
VOCABULARY

WORD

MEANING

Lush
Magnificently
Swish
Gullies

Healthy growth
Wonderfully, grandly, beautifully
The sound made by moving water
Channels cut out in the earth by persistent
rainfall
Fighting to survive; moving with great physical
effort
Lose their colour
Left bare (in order to recover natural fertility)
Covered

Struggling
Fade
Fallow
paved

UNDERSTANDING THE POEM

Lines 1 to 10
The poet tells about his homeland , Jamaica and rejoices the beauty of this island. Jamaica has no
seasonal changes. It has a tropical climate which is hot and wet throughout the year. The days of
golden sunshine are glorious and magnificent. The are many canefields in Jamaica as sugar is one
of the main exports in this country.
Lines 11 to 15
In the ending of the poem, the poet tells us his favourite time days when the flowers of mango
trees and logwood blossom. He uses imagery of sound and smell to illustrate abundant life and
activity in the bushes when the sound of bees and the scent of honey add to the charm and

beauty if Jamaica. He describes the fields filled with lovely yellow buttercups. All this happens
when the rains have stopped and the beauty if nature emerges once again.
THEMES

Beauty of nature

Appreciation of one own country

Appreciate nature

MORAL VALUES

We should appreciate what we have in our own country

We should not long for what we do not have.

We should appreciate our homeland.

We should appreciate the beauty of nature.

TONE,MOOD, ATMOSPHERE

Appreciative and happy

Carefree and light-hearted

Sense of beauty

POINT OF VIEW

Third person point of view

LANGUAGE AND STYLE

Simple and easy to understand the language

Clear and descriptive

Simple style with no rhyming scheme

POETIC DEVICES

Imagery e.g. gold sun, lush green fields, trees struggling

Alliteration e.g. sways and shivers to the slightest breath of air

Symbols e.g. gold sun symbol of summer, rains symbol of winter

Contrast e.g. beauty or summer is compared with rains or winter

Figurative Language Simile rain beats like bullets

Metaphor e.g. the buttercups paved the earth with yellow stars

Personafication buttercups have paved the earth buttercups have been personified
as having laid tiles

Onomatopeia eg swish

For reference, Ive included the pictures of some plants (plantation) mentioned in this poem.

This is a sample of the flower, buttercup.

Canefield plantation

This is the guango tree.

NATURE BY H.D CARBERRY We have neither Summer nor WinterNeither Autumn nor
Spring.We have instead the daysWhen the gold sun shines on the lush green
canefields-Magnificently.The days when the rain beats like bullet on the roofsAnd

there is no sound but thee swish of water in the gulliesAnd trees struggling in the
high Jamaica winds.Also there are the days when leaves fade from off guango
treesAnd the reaped canefields lie bare and fallow to the sun.But best of all there
are the days when the mango and the logwood blossomWhen bushes are full of the
sound of bees and the scent of honey,When the tall grass sways and shivers to the
slightest breath of air,When the buttercups have paved the earth with yellow
starsAnd beauty comes suddenly and the rains have gone. SYNOPSIS OF THE POEM
The poem tells of the weather conditions in Jamaica although it does not have the
four seasons of spring, summer, autumn and winter. The weather conditions of
golden sunny days and wet rainy days are just as good and are almost equivalent to
the four seasons . MEANING OF THE POEM Lines 1 to 10 The poet tells about his
homeland , Jamaica and rejoices the beauty of this island. Jamaica has no seasonal
changes. It has a tropical climate which is hot and wet throughout the year. The
days of golden sunshine are glorious and magnificent. The are many canefields in
Jamaica as sugar is one of the main exports in this country. Lines 11 to 15 In the
ending of the poem, the poet tells us his favourite time days when the flowers of
mango trees and logwood blossom. He uses imagery of sound and smell to illustrate
abundant life and activity in the bushes when the sound of bees and the scent of
honey add to the charm and beauty if Jamaica. He describes the fields filled with
lovely yellow buttercups. All this happens when the rains have stopped and the
beauty if nature emerges once again. THEME 8-) Beauty of nature 8-) Appreciation
of one own country 8-) Appreciate nature 8-) use bn.aoc.an to remember MORAL
VALUES OF THE POEM * We should appreciate what we have in our own country *
We should not long for what we do not have. * We should appreciate our homeland.
* We should appreciate the beauty of nature . TONE,MOOD AND ATMOSPHERE OF
THE POEM .o. Appreciative and happy .o. Carefree and light-hearted .o. Sense of
beauty .o. use anh.cnl-h.sob to remember ~3rd~ this poem is a third person point
of view LANGUAGE AND STYLE OF THE POEM :) Simple and easy to understand the
language :) Clear and descriptive :) Simple style with no rhyming scheme :) use
simple n easy . cler n dscrptv . ss no rhyme POETIC DEVICES OF THE POEM Imagery
e.g. gold sun, lush green fields, trees struggling (IMAGE) Alliteration e.g.
sways and shivers to the slightest breath of air Symbols e.g. gold sun symbol
of summer, rains symbol of winter Contrast e.g. beauty or summer is
compared with rains or winter Figurative Language : Simile rain beats like
bullets Metaphor e.g. the buttercups paved the earth with yellow stars
Personafication buttercups have paved the earth buttercups have been
personified as having laid tiles Copy and WIN : http://bit.ly/copynwin

Copy and WIN : http://bit.ly/copynwin

Poem Entitled Nature by H.D Carberrry, Notes, and Explanations

POEM

TITLE: NATURE
POET: H.D CARBERRY

CONTENTS:

1. SYNONYMS

2. EXPLANATIONS

3. EXAMPLES

I spent hours trying to understand each of the word used in the poem in order to
help you to understand the poem. I also tried my best to come up with simple and
understandable explanations together with some examples as I want you to
remember this poem as long as you live. The most important thing is you have wellprepared notes to help you get at least an A for SPM next year. I cannot really
explain how painful it was to think of how I could help you understand the poem. I
understand it is not easy to appreciate these notes. But if you learn to appreciate, I
will feel very happy because I can finally make you a true human being who is
completely opposite to an animal. M.J.

Designed by: Mani ak Jack (15th-18th/04/2011)

Nature by H.D Carberry

Synonyms and explanations
1. Instead: as an alternative/substitute/replacement
2. Lush: green, abundant, fertile, blossoming
3. Magnificently: wonderfully, superbly, well
4. Beat: hit, strike, bang, hammer, pound, punch
5. Swish: to move quickly into the air
6. Gully: channel, ditch, culvert
7. Struggle: move violently, great fight, fight back
8. Fade: die away, darken, become paler
9. Reap: harvest
10. Ripe: mature, ready, full-grown, ripen
11. Cane: sugarcane
12. Lie: stretch out
13. Bear: naked, nude, exposed, uncovered
14. High: soaring
15. Bush: shrub, plant
16. Sway: bend, wave, swing
17. Scent: smell, odor, aroma, fragrance
18. Slightest: smallest amount, least
19. Buttercups: A type of flower in Jamaica that is yellow in colour
20. Pave: cover, floor, tile
21. wood: timber, forest,
22: logwood: a tree which has been cut into pieces which are meant to make fire.
Also called firewood. Logwood can be in many sizes. Some are left in the forest.
23. blossom: flourish, grow healthily

We have neither Summer nor Winter neither Autumn nor Spring

(We do not have Summer, We do not have Winter, We do not have Autumn We do
not have Spring)

We have instead the days, when the gold sun shines on the lush green canfields,
magnificently.

(Even though we do not have the four seasons, we still have our bright shiny days
and the fertile land whish is planted with sugarcane and the best part is we have a
lot of sugarcane.)

The days when the rain beats like bullets on the roofs and there is no sound but the
swish of water in the gullies, and the trees struggling in the high Jamaica winds.

Even though we do not have the four seasons, we are blessed with rainy days. The
rain is so heavy that you could not hear anything else except for the heavy
raindrops that fall heavily and rapidly on the roof. Furthermore, we also have strong
winds.)

Also there are the days when leaves fade from off guango trees, and the reaped
canedfieldds lie bare and fallow to the sun.

(However, they also experience hard life during the dry season as the leaves are
falling (the land becomes infertile) and there is time when the plantation cannot be
done after the harvesting season. They have to leave the land for a while as they
want the land to be fertile again after harvesting the sugarcane.

(Additional information about plantation: When the land is fertile, a farmer will start
planting any crops. When the crops are mature enough, the farmer will harvest all
the crops leaving the unwanted piece on the field. Then, the field is left exposed to
the sun in order to dry all the dead leaves. Once the dead leaves are dry enough,
the farmer will burn it in order to make the land fertile again. When the rainy season
comes, the land is ready for plantation.)

But best of all, there are the days when the mango and the logwood blossom, when
the bushes are full of sound of bees and scent of honey, when the tall grass sways
and shivers to the slightest breath of air, when the buttercups have paved the earth
with yellow stars and beauty comes suddenly and the rains have gone.

(Can you imagine how a forest looks like during the draught season (dry season)?
During the dry season, everything is fading due to the little amount of water. As a
matter of fact, water is the symbol of life. Draught season is a disaster especially to

the farmers who depend so much on the plantation. Now imagine how a forest looks
like during the rainy season? Also imagine what happens to all the living things in
the forest after the rainy season. Rain brings a lot of wonders. The presence of rain
benefits all the living things. After the rainy season, the flowers will grow well and
beautifully and of course these abundant (many/a lot) flowers will definitely attract
the bees. Furthermore, after the rainy season, all the green plants will grow and the
presence of rain will definitely give a new life to the forest and to all the living things
including human begins especially the farmers. After the rainy season, all the
flowers will grow and flourish as rain has once again made the land fertile.)

Moral Values:
1. We should appreciate what we have in our country. (Examples: peace, free from
natural disasters, green forest, beautiful beaches, a lot of food, fertile lands,
religious freedom, tolerance between races and etc.)

2. We should not long for what we do not have. (Examples: We many not have all
the four seasons but it does not mean that our country is ugly and infertile. We still
have a lot of virgin rainforest, and the most important thing is we have so many
fruits such as pineapple, durian, mango, papaya and bananas that are not available
in countries which experience the four seasons. We must understand that we cannot
have everything in this world as this world is not perfect. Another example is we
must accept the fact that no matter how hard we try to be someone else, we will
never succeed doing it but we cant abolish the true facts about ourselves. For
example, a woman who has a dark skin always longs for a white skin. Therefore, she
will try any products that can change the colour of her skin. As a matter of fact, no
matter how white she is, she is still an Asian. She will never be a Caucasian. )

3. We should be aware that different people have different skills or beauty.

(Explanation and examples: Beauty is too subjective. We cannot measure ones
beauty based on physical appearance alone. Each of us has our own specialties. A
man may not be handsome physically, but his beauty is perhaps he is very
hardworking, loyal and intelligent. A woman may not be as beautiful as Natalie
Portman, but the most beautiful thing about her is she is loyal, patient, loving and
has good manners. On the other hand, a man may not do well in academic. But it
does not mean that he cannot be successful in life. Perhaps he has a great
determination that an intelligent person does not have. Perhaps, he is very good at
drawing or repairing cars. The main concern here is everyone is beautiful, talented
and special as long as we learn to accept the fact that each of us has strengths and
weaknesses.

Facts about Jamaica

With 2.8 million people, Jamaica is the third most populous anglophone country in
the Americas, after the United States and Canada. It remains a Commonwealth
realm with Queen Elizabeth II as Head of State
History
The Arawak and Taino indigenous people originating from South America settled on
the island between 4000 and 1000 BC.
Christopher Columbus claimed Jamaica for Spain after landing there in 1494.
Columbus' probable landing point was Dry Harbour, now called Discovery Bay. St.
Ann's Bay was the "Saint Gloria" of Columbus who first sighted Jamaica at this point.
The Spanish were forcibly evicted by the British at Ocho Rios in St. Ann and in 1655
the British took over the last Spanish fort in Jamaica. The Spanish colonists fled
leaving a large number of African slaves. Rather than be re-enslaved by the English,
they escaped into the hilly, mountainous regions of the island, joining those who
had previously escaped from the Spanish to live with the Tanos. These runaway
slaves, who became known as the Jamaican Maroons, fought the British during the
18th century. During the long years of slavery Maroons established free
communities in the mountainous interior of Jamaica, maintaining their freedom and
independence for generations.
During its first 200 years of British rule, Jamaica became one of the world's leading
sugar-exporting, slave-dependent nations. After the abolition of the slave trade in
1807, the British imported Indian and Chinese workers as indentured servants to
supplement the labour pool. Descendants of indentured servants of Asian and
Chinese origin continue to reside in Jamaica today.
By the beginning of the 19th century, Jamaica's heavy reliance on slavery resulted
in blacks (Africans) outnumbering whites (Europeans) by a ratio of almost 20 to 1.
Even though England had outlawed the importation of slaves, some were still
smuggled into the colonies.
In the 1800s, the British established a number of botanical gardens. These included
the Castleton Garden, set up in 1862 to replace the Bath Garden (created in 1779)
which was subject to flooding. Bath Garden was the site for planting breadfruit
brought to Jamaica from the Pacific by Captain William Bligh. Other gardens were
the Cinchona Plantation founded in 1868 and the Hope Garden founded in 1874. In
1872, Kingston became the island's capital.
Jamaica slowly gained increasing independence from the United Kingdom and in
1958, it became a province in the Federation of the West Indies before attaining full
independence by leaving the federation in 1962.
Jamaica has a large population of Chinese and East Indians. Sizable numbers of
Whites and Mulattoes, and persons of Syrian/Lebanese descent, many of which
have intermixed throughout the generations. Individuals on the island seldom
belong to one racial group as mixed-race Jamaicans are the second largest racial

group; the genetic roots of many people can be traced to origins that are not
necessarily physically apparent. Christianity is the major religion in the island.
Jamaica's resources include coffee, papaya, bauxite, gypsum, limestone and sugar
cane.
Climate
The climate in Jamaica is tropical, with hot and humid weather, although higher
inland regions are more temperate. Some regions on the south coast are relatively
dry rain-shadow areas. Jamaica lies in the hurricane belt of the Atlantic Ocean; as a
result, the island sometimes experiences significant storm damage.