benefit of eating the blackberries. Where before the
action was the taking in or consuming, now the
action is forcing out or expelling. Creative words
tumble from his mouth, just as the berries had
earlier practically tumbled into it. These are not
ordinary words, though; the words that are
expelled in line 10 begin with the letter-s.The
italicized words,strengthsandsquinchedalliterate
(repeat the same initial consonant sound). Squinch
is an archaic form of the wordscrunch. The use of
the initial-smay remind readers of the Fall of
Man, and the role in that story of the serpent or
snake. It is worth considering that the Fall of Man
gave rise to a world in which God is present. For
the poet, the eating of the blackberries, with their
allusion to sin, gives rise to the word that forms his
poetry. References to the Fall of Man mirror one
another in this poem. The first one occurs in the
fifth line of the poem, whereas the second reference
occurs in the fifth line from the end of the poem.
Lines 11–12
The connection between blackberries and words
is reinforced in the description of instances in
which many letters combined make up a single-
syllable word. Similarly, a blackberry is com-
posed of many small seed pods that combine to
make the larger berry. Both the berry and the
syllable are a larger mass, created from several
smaller units. In line 12, the poet explains that it
is necessary for him to squeeze the letters and
syllables out of his mouth, which is turn creates a
splurge of language. Therefore, the creating of
poetry is not unlike the eating of berries. Each
word in a poem is made up of letters, not unlike
the many seed pods that make up a blackberry.
Lines 13–14
Expelling words is described in the same language
used to describe the overripe, cold blackberries of
line 2. Words are sensory objects like the black-
berries described in the octave. Words have
power, but that power can be mysterious, emerg-
ing out of silence and coldness and filling the poet
with surprise at their creation. Words can even be
black, wicked in their use and meaning. The lan-
guage of line 2 is mirrored in the second to last
line of ‘‘Blackberry Eating.’’ Words are just as
tantalizing as the fruit. The final line repeats the
phrase from line 1 that opened the poem, a
reminder that the poet/speaker loves September
and the ripe blackberries, which when eaten, feed
his creativity and create letters, syllables, words,
and finally poetry.
Themes
Creativity
‘‘Blackberry Eating’’ is about the creative proc-
ess. For the poet, creativity is enhanced by
immersion in an activity that he loves, in this
case the eating of blackberries. All artists have
something that enhances or that feeds their crea-
tivity. For the poet/speaker in ‘‘Blackberry Eat-
ing,’’ creativity is engendered with the taste and
texture of cold fall blackberries. The poet con-
nects the intense experience in the blackberry
patch with the essence of his creative process.
Nature directly experienced feeds his creativity.
Standing amid the blackberries also brings him
joy and renewal. In a real sense, nature awakens
the poet’s creative process.Fall of Man
In the second chapter of Genesis, Adam and Eve
eat from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and
Evil and are expelled from the Garden of Eden.
This story, referred to as the Fall of Man, is the
archetypal theme of the human search for for-
bidden knowledge. In ‘‘Blackberry Eating,’’ the
prickly stalks of the plant are described as its
own punishment for knowing what the plant is
not supposed to know—the sorcery necessary to
create such tantalizing berries. Black magic is
associated with the devil and with evil, which
further parallels the Genesis story. Eve is
seduced by the serpent, who entices her to sin.
Kinnell deliberately recalls the Fall of Man with
the repetition of s sounds in words such as
‘‘strengths,’’ ‘‘squinched,’’ ‘‘squeeze,’’ ‘‘squinch,’’
‘‘splurge,’’ ‘‘silent,’’ ‘‘startled,’’ and ‘‘September.’’
The quick repetition ofssounds evokes the hiss-
ing serpent that speaks in Genesis. The speaker
also claims that the berries practically fall into
his mouth without invitation, just as the words
fall from his mouth, also without effort. Once
again, these two images may remind readers of
the Fall. The seduction of Eve is likened to the
seductive blackberries. Eating blackberries sedu-
ces words from the poet, which are tasted by him
with the same attention to texture and essence.Nature
During autumn, outside work prepares for win-
ter. It is a time of harvest, and for the poet, nature
is ripe with what nourishes. In ‘‘Blackberry Eat-
ing,’’ the speaker cannot stop the enthusiastic
flow of words. Nature, as represented by the
blackberries, feeds the poet, but as it stimulatesBlackberry Eating