Peace (poem) by Adrienne Rich

True peace is not a passive, gentle state, but often emerges from intense struggle and upheaval—especially as seen in nature. In essence, the poem suggests that nature’s cycles mirror human experience: peace is not negotiated or controlled; it is powerful, “unnegotiable,” and comes on its own terms after periods of turmoil.

Lashes of white light

binding another hailcloud -

the whole onset all over

bursting against our faces,

sputtering like dead holly

fired in a grate:

And the birds go mad

potted by grapeshot

while the sun shines

in one quarter of heaven

and the rainbow

breaks out its enormous flag-

oily, unnegotiable-

over the sack-draped backs

of the cattle in their kingdom.

Lines 1-6

These lines describe a vivid and almost violent scene of a storm’s arrival, using strong sensory imagery and comparisons to make the reader feel the experience.

"Lashes of white light"

Here, “lashes” suggests both the quick, whip-like flashes of lightning and the sensation of being struck by them.
“white light” refers to bright lightning streaks cutting across the sky.
The choice of lashes adds a sense of aggression and physical force to the image.

"binding another hailcloud"

The lightning appears to wrap or tie together another dark storm cloud, as if securing the storm’s elements.
This could also suggest the moment when one storm cell joins with another, intensifying the weather.
The image gives the lightning an active, almost purposeful role in shaping the storm.

"the whole onset all over"

This signals that the storm is beginning again — perhaps after a brief lull.
“All over” emphasizes that the intensity is repeating, engulfing everything in its path.

"bursting against our faces"

The hail or rain is striking directly against the speaker’s face.
The choice of bursting conveys a sudden, forceful impact — not a gentle fall, but an explosion of sensation.

"sputtering like dead holly / fired in a grate:"

This is a simile comparing the sound and behavior of the hail or rain to dried holly leaves thrown into a fireplace.
Dead holly in flames crackles, pops, and releases sharp, irregular bursts — just like hailstones hitting surfaces.
This creates a multisensory image — not just sight but also sound and touch.

The lines portray the renewed violence of a storm, with lightning flashing, clouds churning, hail pounding against the speaker, and the noise crackling like burning leaves. It’s a moment of nature’s raw power — sudden, chaotic, and physically overwhelming.

Peace (poem) by Adrienne Rich

Lines 7-15

It’s a striking example of storm-after-chaos imagery where natural violence and beauty collide.

"And the birds go mad"

The storm causes chaos among the birds — they are flying erratically, perhaps screeching and darting in panic.
“Go mad” conveys frantic, confused motion, as if the animals are overwhelmed by the sudden shift in weather.

"potted by grapeshot"

Grapeshot is an old military term for clusters of small iron balls fired from a cannon — here, it’s a metaphor for hail pelting the birds.
“Potted” may refer to being hit repeatedly, like game in a hunting shoot.
This is a violent, almost wartime image — hail as artillery, the storm as a battlefield.

"while the sun shines / in one quarter of heaven"

This describes the strange moment after or during a storm when sunlight breaks through in one part of the sky while the rest is still dark and raging.
“One quarter of heaven” suggests the division — a serene patch of light amidst surrounding turmoil.

"and the rainbow / breaks out its enormous flag"

A rainbow appears suddenly, unfurling across the sky like a massive flag.
The imagery shifts from violent (hail/grapeshot) to celebratory and ceremonial.
“Breaks out” implies a sudden, dramatic appearance — like raising a standard after battle.

"oily, unnegotiable"

“Oily” may refer to the shimmering, slick texture of the rainbow’s colors, almost like oil on water.
“Unnegotiable” conveys that its presence is absolute and cannot be altered — nature imposes it, whether we welcome it or not.
The tone here is subtly defiant — the rainbow isn’t a gentle blessing; it’s a dominating spectacle.

"over the sack-draped backs / of the cattle in their kingdom."

The rainbow arches above cattle, whose backs are covered in protective sackcloth — likely from the storm’s cold hail or rain.
“In their kingdom” gives the cattle a kind of quiet sovereignty over the field — they rule their muddy, weather-battered realm under the great banner of the rainbow.

The scene captures the dramatic aftermath of a violent storm — chaos among birds, hail striking like gunfire, sunlight breaking through, and a commanding rainbow unfurling over the landscape. It’s a moment where violence, beauty, and authority coexist in nature’s theatre.

Peace (poem) by Adrienne Rich

1. First excerpt — The storm’s violent onset

Lashes of white light
binding another hailcloud -
the whole onset all over
bursting against our faces,
sputtering like dead holly
fired in a grate:

Here we’re thrown directly into the middle of a storm.

Lightning is not just visual but aggressive (“lashes”), actively pulling clouds together.
The hail bursts against the speaker and others — the sound is compared to burning holly leaves, giving us a crackling, popping soundscape.
It’s a total sensory assault: visual flashes, violent impacts, and sharp noises.

This part sets the tone of chaos, violence, and immediacy.

2. Second excerpt — Aftermath and transformation

And the birds go mad
potted by grapeshot
while the sun shines
in one quarter of heaven
and the rainbow
breaks out its enormous flag -
oily, unnegotiable -
over the sack-draped backs
of the cattle in their kingdom.

Now we move to the aftermath, but it’s not pure calm — there’s still residual turmoil:

Birds are still in a frenzy, hail still acts like war ammunition.
The sky begins to split between storm and sunlight, creating a strange, divided beauty.
The rainbow arrives suddenly, not as a soft blessing but as an imposing banner (“enormous flag… unnegotiable”).
It presides over the soaked, battered landscape where cattle, draped in makeshift coverings, stand as the quiet “rulers” of their territory.

This part shifts from raw violence to a strange majesty, showing nature’s dual character — destructive yet breathtaking.

The unified idea

Together, the two excerpts form a natural drama in three stages:

Onset — sudden, fierce violence (lightning, hail, physical impact).
Conflict — living creatures caught in the crossfire (birds, humans, cattle).
Resolution — beauty and authority reassert themselves (sunlight, rainbow, “kingdom”).

Symbolically, the sequence can reflect:

Life’s unpredictable shifts — calm to chaos to renewal.
Power of nature — humans and animals are subject to its moods.
War imagery — lightning, hail, and grapeshot evoke a battlefield, and the rainbow’s “flag” suggests a victor declaring dominance over the land.

Peace (poem) by Adrienne Rich

Literary Devices

1. Form and Structure

Free verse — No fixed rhyme scheme or metrical pattern. This creates a sense of natural speech and unpredictability, mirroring the storm itself.
Short, enjambed lines — The run-on flow forces the reader to move quickly from one image to the next, mimicking the rapid changes in a storm.
Line breaks for emphasis — For example:

binding another hailcloud -
The dash leaves the thought hanging, as if the action is still unfolding in real time.

2. Sound Devices

Alliteration: “Lashes of light,” “bursting… faces,” “sack-draped backs” — creates rhythm and intensity.
Consonance: Hard consonants in “grapeshot” and “potted” mimic the sharp impact of hail.
Onomatopoeia: “Sputtering” imitates the sound of burning holly and the crackle of hail hitting surfaces.
Plosive sounds: p, b, t, g in “potted by grapeshot” recreate the staccato feel of bombardment.

3. Imagery

The poem’s imagery works in two contrasting registers:

Violent/war imagery — lightning as lashes, hail as grapeshot, onset as attack, birds like hunted prey.
Majestic/ceremonial imagery — rainbow as a flag, cattle as rulers of a “kingdom.”

Specific types:

Visual imagery: White light, hailcloud, rainbow, sackcloth on cattle.
Tactile imagery: Hail “bursting against our faces” — physical sting.
Auditory imagery: “Sputtering” holly, crackle of fire, storm roar.

4. Figurative Language

Simile: “Sputtering like dead holly fired in a grate” — links the hail’s sound to a familiar household crackle, grounding the wild storm in domestic terms.
Metaphor:
- Lightning “binding” clouds — personifies it as a rope or whip.
- Rainbow as an “enormous flag” — implies nature’s dominance.
Symbolism:
- Rainbow — a sign of peace or renewal after destruction, but here also “unnegotiable,” stressing nature’s authority rather than human comfort.
- Grapeshot — war and violence, reinforcing the idea that storms are like battles.
- Cattle kingdom — even humble animals have dominion in their own sphere after the storm.

5. Tone and Mood

Tone: Shifts from fierce, chaotic, and violent to awe-struck and ceremonial.
Mood: Starts tense and overwhelming, then turns to one of reverence for nature’s grandeur.

6. Themes

Nature’s duality — It can be destructive and beautiful in quick succession.
Powerlessness of humans — The speaker observes, unable to control the storm.
Cycles in nature — Storm gives way to calm and spectacle.
Conflict imagery — Nature likened to warfare, with hail as ammunition and the rainbow as a victorious standard.

7. Syntax and Grammar

Parataxis — Clauses and phrases are often placed side-by-side without formal connectors, e.g.:

And the birds go mad / potted by grapeshot / while the sun shines...
This gives a feeling of rapid, breathless reporting.
Minimal punctuation — Speeds the reader through, much like the storm sweeps over the land.

8. Perspective

First-person plural (“our faces”) — suggests a shared, collective experience of the storm.
This creates a sense of communal witness, not an isolated observation.

9. Movement Between Scenes

The poem has a cinematic progression:

Storm breaking (close-up on lightning and hail).
Birds reacting (mid-shot of nature in chaos).
Sky clearing and rainbow forming (wide landscape view).

10. Overall Effect

Technically, the poem is crafted to make the reader feel the storm viscerally — the sound, sight, and touch of it — and then be forced to shift emotional gears as beauty and power replace chaos. The war-like diction makes the rainbow’s arrival feel like the aftermath of a decisive battle, not a gentle pastoral moment.

Peace (poem) by Adrienne Rich

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. Who is the author of the poem?

Adrienne Rich, a prominent 20th-century American poet known for her politically charged and vividly imagistic poetry.

2. What natural phenomenon does the poem describe?

The poem depicts a violent hailstorm followed by the sudden appearance of a rainbow over a pastoral landscape.

3. What is the central theme of the poem?

The dual nature of the natural world — its capacity for violence and destruction alongside beauty and renewal.

4. How does Adrienne Rich use war imagery in the poem?

She compares hail to “grapeshot” and uses terms like “potted” to evoke the sound and impact of gunfire, turning the storm into a metaphorical battlefield.

5. What is the significance of the rainbow in the poem?

It acts as an “enormous flag” — a symbol of dominance and inevitability — suggesting nature’s authority rather than simply peace or hope.

6. What sensory imagery does Rich use to describe the storm?

She uses visual imagery (white lightning, rainbow), tactile imagery (hail bursting against faces), and auditory imagery (sputtering like burning holly).

7. How does the tone shift in the poem?

The tone moves from chaotic and violent during the storm to awe-struck and ceremonial when the rainbow appears.

8. Why is the rainbow described as “oily” and “unnegotiable”?

“Oily” suggests a shimmering, slick texture, while “unnegotiable” emphasizes its absolute, commanding presence — something beyond human control.

9. What role do animals play in the poem?

Birds are shown in frantic panic, while cattle stand as calm rulers in their “kingdom” beneath the rainbow, contrasting reactions to nature’s force.

10. What poetic techniques are notable in this poem?

Free verse, enjambment, alliteration, war-related metaphors, simile, parataxis, and vivid sensory imagery.

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Anjali Ruhela