Summer in the Yakima Valley

The poem, "Summer in the Yakima Valley", by Ruth Roach Pierson gives great examples of contrast. In the first half of the poem the speaker talks about how everything on the farm is growing, such as the "orchard trees in even rows down the slopes and out in all directions". He is always accompanied by his cousin, and how they "plucked alfalfa shoots to stick between our teeth". In the second half of the poem, it is night and instead of having fun listening to the "sprinklers' jerky rotation hum and hiss of a low-flying spray plane", the speaker in the poem is left "to listen alone to the sounds of the night the valley now as alien as the other side of the moon-". It is obvious that in the day, everything is wonderful and during the night, things that wouldn't be as scary in the light become frightening to the speaker. Other written contrasts in the poem include, "the long-short snick snack of the sprinklers'". It is clear to see that without contrast the poem would mean nothing and the feeling of excitement and worry would disappear.