Wild Bees

“Wild Bees” is a reflective free verse poem written by James K. Baxter, who was from New Zealand. The poem was originally published in 1950 in the 13th issue of Landfall (Volume 4, Number 1), a leading New Zealand literary journal. The poem looks at grand-scale tragedy through a small-scale lens and explores themes of primordial instinct, nostalgia, coming of age, and man’s struggle against the natural world. Using references from classical mythology, Baxter draws attention to a memory from his youth and the way that memory shaped him and his understanding of the world.

James K. Baxter was a leading poet in the mid-twentieth century. He is a subject of controversy, though he continues to be a part of his country’s history and poetic legacy.

Poet Biography

James K. Baxter was a prominent New Zealand-based poet, playwright, and activist. In addition to his critically acclaimed poetry, Baxter was known for his work in preserving the culture of the Māori, the aboriginal people of New Zealand. He was particularly controversial during his life for playing a pivotal role in the popularization of the religious commune known as Jerusalem, which began as a small Māori settlement on the Wanganui River. Claiming to have been sent there by a dream, Baxter left his career behind and lived out most of his days with the Māori.

Baxter produced his first poetry collection at the age of seventeen, Beyond the Palisade. He followed it with subsequently successful volumes, Blow, Wind of Fruitfulness and Hart Crane: A Poem. In 1951 he enrolled at Wellington Teachers’ College, where he began his lifelong battle with alcoholism; he earned his BA in 1956. During this time he produced his collection The Fallen House, followed by In Fires of No Return: Poems which began gaining him international attention.

Over the next decade, Baxter converted to Catholicism, which would inform much of his later poetry. He also began turning to playwriting, including his celebrated work Jack Winter's Dream. His personal philosophy was a mix of the Roman Catholic and Māori traditions; when he died in 1972, he was buried along with a ceremony that combined both.

Many years after Baxter’s death, evidence began to emerge of sexual assault against his wife and young girls who lived in the commune with him. The most notable of these were discovered from Baxter’s letters, published by the Victoria University Press in 2019. Discovery of the assault was met with public outcry and a feeling of loss. Another woman wrote about being assaulted by Baxter at his commune, Jerusalem. She wrote of his assaulting her and other women: “This truth needs to sit alongside Baxter's literary achievements. It must be fully acknowledged and never glossed over. This is for the sake of women such as myself and for those who may not be able to find a voice as I have. As ever, in celebrating the genius of Baxter the artist, we cannot overlook the evils of Baxter the human being.” (Lewis, Ros. “Ros Lewis was sexually assaulted by James K Baxter at Jerusalem. She wasn't the only one.” 2019. stuff.co.nz.)

Poem Text

Baxter, James K. “Wild Bees.” 1950. Poetry Foundation.

Summary

The speaker recounts how they would often see bees flying in and out of their hive in the cabbage tree. Sometimes they would be standing on a wooden bridge, and other times they would be drifting along the river in a boat. The bees were impressive in their speed, shimmering in beauty, and effective at their work within the hive. The speaker sees no passion or artistry in the bees’ work, only industrial single-mindedness.

The speaker always stayed away from the bees, until one winter evening when they and their friends put on beekeeping masks with a plan to steal the bees’ honey. They planned to use smoke to force the bees out of the hive. The friends waited patiently in the grass for night to come, but the bees saw them and descended, stinging everywhere they could reach. The speaker and their friends fought back with smoke, but the bees continued stinging. The bees died protecting their hive.

The speaker compares the battle to the destruction of Carthage and the fall of Troy from classical mythology. Though the friends have won, neither side celebrates a victory. Most of the honey has melted and the hive has been reduced to ash; now there will be no bees to make more. The friends’ triumph is bittersweet. The speaker reflects that tragedies can be small as well as great, and that their errand was foolish. They reflect that the loss of the honey is like the loss of the bees and their hive; they will remember both forever.