What is Theme of the poem, “After Apple Picking?”

6.92K views

Hi Again,

I need some help to understand this poem After Apple Picking. The problem is that several times I have the read this poem but could not understand why do falling images recur in the poem? Is it the central idea of the poem and what does it mean?

0

Hi Betty!

Sure. Let me explain it to you that yes, it is one of the central ideas of this poem and a falling image like dropping an apple represents biggest sin, fall of man and corruption. Perhaps, the poet has taken a cue from Biblical line “the wages of sin is death.” Therefore, the speaker is afraid of his death in form of a “long sleep,” and does not feel good for the apples that have fallen; instead, he defers to pitch them into an apple cider heap.