The Cow
By Victor Hugo
Before the farm where, o'er the porch, festoon
Wild creepers red, and gaffer sits at noon,
Whilst strutting fowl display their varied crests,
And the old watchdog slumberously rests,
They half-attentive to the clarion of their king,
Resplendent in the sunshine op'ning wing —
There stood a cow, with neck-bell jingling light,
Superb, enormous, dappled red and white —
Soft, gentle, patient as a hind unto its young,
Letting the children swarm until they hung
Around her, under — rustics with their teeth
Whiter than marble their ripe lips beneath,
And bushy hair fresh and more brown
Than mossy walls at old gates of a town,
Calling to one another with loud cries
For younger imps to be in at the prize;
Stealing without concern but tremulous with fear
They glance around lest Doll the maid appear; —
Their jolly lips — that haply cause some pain,
And all those busy fingers, pressing now and 'gain,
The teeming udders whose small, thousand pores
Gush out the nectar 'mid their laughing roars,
While she, good mother, gives and gives in heaps,
And never moves. Anon there creeps
A vague soft shiver o'er the hide unmarred,
As sharp they pull, she seems of stone most hard.
Dreamy of large eye, seeks she no release,
And shrinks not while there's one still to appease.
Thus Nature — refuge 'gainst the slings of fate!
Mother of all, indulgent as she's great!
Lets us, the hungered of each age and rank,
Shadow and milk seek in the eternal flank;
Mystic and carnal, foolish, wise, repair,
The souls retiring and those that dare,
Sages with halos, poets laurel-crowned,
All creep beneath or cluster close around,
And with unending greed and joyous cries,
From sources full, draw need's supplies,
Quench hearty thirst, obtain what must eftsoon
Form blood and mind, in freest boon,
Respire at length thy sacred flaming light,
From all that greets our ears, touch, scent or sight —
Brown leaves, blue mountains, yellow gleams, green sod —
Thou undistracted still dost dream of God.
Poem Analysis:
Victor Hugo’s poem The Cow is a luminous and layered meditation on nature, motherhood, and the generous, eternal rhythms of life. What begins as a vivid pastoral scene evolves into a philosophical allegory, with the humble cow elevated to a symbol of nature itself—maternal, patient, nourishing, and divine.
Overview and Structure
The poem is structured in two parts:
- The first stanza is a richly descriptive pastoral image—a cow standing serenely by a farmhouse, surrounded by laughing, mischievous children milking her.
- The second stanza broadens into allegory, using the image of the cow as a metaphor for Nature as a nurturing, divine mother feeding the needs of all humanity—rich and poor, wise and foolish alike.
The meter is fluid and naturalistic, echoing speech rather than adhering to rigid form. Hugo’s language is lush and detailed, employing vivid imagery and a kind of reverent tone, especially in the second half, where the everyday becomes mystical.
Part I: A Scene of Rural Innocence
In the opening lines, Hugo paints a vibrant countryside scene:
Before the farm where, o'er the porch, festoon / Wild creepers red…
The setting is idyllic and timeless. An old man rests, fowl strut about, a watchdog sleeps—a vision of tranquil, rustic life. In this calm environment, the cow stands “superb, enormous, dappled red and white,” the central figure in this tableau.
She is not merely a beast of burden but a maternal presence. Children swarm around her joyfully, tugging at her udders, laughing as they milk her. The cow tolerates their play and chaos with unflinching stillness and forbearance:
Letting the children swarm until they hung / Around her, under…
The description of the children is affectionate and sensory, emphasizing their vitality and innocence—white teeth, ripe lips, bushy hair, loud calls. There is even a hint of mischief and fear when they steal milk while watching out for the maid.
Despite their roughness—"jolly lips… busy fingers"—the cow does not protest. She "never moves" and does not flinch, even as “sharp they pull.” She is not passive but willingly giving, her stillness a form of strength and service. This is not just the act of milking; it is the act of a mother feeding children, a sacred transaction of life.
Part II: The Cow as Nature, the Divine Mother
The poem then takes a philosophical turn:
Thus Nature — refuge 'gainst the slings of fate! / Mother of all, indulgent as she's great!
Here, the cow transforms into a metaphor for Nature itself. Just as the cow gives milk freely and patiently, Nature gives sustenance—physical, emotional, and spiritual—to all beings. The list of beneficiaries is universal:
The hungered of each age and rank…Sages with halos, poets laurel-crowned…
Everyone, from fools to mystics, draws from Nature's inexhaustible bounty. The "eternal flank" symbolizes the enduring body of the Earth, which nurtures all life. This turn elevates the poem from a simple pastoral to a grand statement about humanity’s relationship with the natural world.
Even the verbs reflect a sacred act: “draw need’s supplies,” “obtain what must eftsoon / Form blood and mind.” Nature is not just giving milk—it is giving life, thought, and spirit. The "sacred flaming light" evokes divine inspiration. In Nature, Hugo finds the origin of both bodily sustenance and transcendent wisdom.
Themes
1. Nature as Mother and Healer
The cow, as Nature’s emblem, is portrayed as endlessly giving, indulgent, and serene in her service. Hugo suggests that no matter how much we take—food, beauty, wisdom—Nature continues to offer, never asking in return. She is a maternal figure in the truest sense: protective, nurturing, and selfless.
2. The Sacred in the Mundane
Milking a cow is a rural chore, but here it is spiritualized. Through Hugo’s lens, the ordinary becomes holy. Nature’s gifts, even those as earthy as milk, become sacraments.
3. Unity of All Beings
From children to sages, all come to drink from the same source. There is an egalitarian spirit in this view of Nature: no one is above or below in their need for her nourishment. This points to Hugo’s broader humanistic vision—Nature as a force that transcends social hierarchies and differences.
4. Stillness and Divinity
The poem’s final line is especially poignant:
Thou undistracted still dost dream of God.
Nature, even while being used and sometimes abused, remains undistracted in its divine dream. The line suggests a kind of eternal, spiritual consciousness that underpins the natural world. Nature is not just passive or material; it is engaged in a quiet communion with the divine.
Symbolism
- The Cow: A dual symbol of domestic life and the divine feminine. She is simultaneously a literal farm animal and a representation of Nature as a giving mother.
- Milk: Represents nourishment, love, sustenance, but also spiritual wisdom.
- Children: Innocence and vitality, but also a metaphor for humanity’s dependency on Nature.
Tone and Mood
The tone is reverent and tender. Hugo speaks with admiration for the cow and the natural world she represents. Even the mischievous children are treated with affection. There is a spiritual serenity that grows more intense as the poem progresses, culminating in a sacred mood by the end.
The Cow is one of Victor Hugo’s most tender and philosophical poems. It begins with a rustic charm and ends with cosmic reverence. Through the image of a single cow, Hugo invites us to consider the deeper forces that sustain life—not just physically but spiritually.
The poem is ultimately a hymn to Nature: patient, generous, divine, and enduring. In a world often distracted by progress and ambition, Hugo reminds us to pause, to revere the quiet strength of the earth, and to recognize in the simplest moments—the milking of a cow—the presence of something eternal.