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Eugenio Agro by Eugene Field

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This is a charming and humorous letter in verse by Eugene Field, addressed to a young church secretary.

Poet
Eugene Field
Core theme
Faith
The PoemFull text

Eugenio Agro

Eugene Field

(A. Lamb) SEAL. The First Wednesday after Pay day, September 11, 1895. On an occasion of this lady's visit to the South-west, where Field's fancied association of cowboys and miners was formed, she was fortunate enough to obtain for the decoration of his library the rather extraordinary Indian blanket which often appears in the sketches of his loved workshop, and for the decoration of himself a very fine necktie made of the skin of a diamond-back rattlesnake. Some other friend had given his boys a "vociferant burro." After the presentation was made, though for two years he had met her socially and at the pastor's office, he wrote to the secretary, in acknowledgment, as follows: DEAR BROTHER ----: I thank you most heartily for the handsome specimens of heathen manufacture which you brought with you for me out of the land of Nod. Mrs. Field is quite charmed--with the blanket, but I think I prefer the necktie; the Old Adam predominates in me, and this pelt of the serpent appeals with peculiar force to my appreciation of the vicious and the sinful. Nearly every morning I don that necktie and go out and twist the supersensitive tail of our intelligent imported burro until the profane beast burthens the air with his ribald protests. I shall ask the holy father--Pere ---- to bring you with him when he comes again to pay a parochial visit to my house. I have a fair and gracious daughter into whose companionship I would fain bring so circumspect and diligent a young man as the holy father represents you to be. Therefore, without fear or trembling accompany that saintly man whensoever he says the word. Thereby you shall further make me your debtor. I send you every assurance of cordial regard, and I beg you to salute the holy father for me with a kiss, and may peace be unto his house and unto all that dwell therein. Always faithfully yours,

Public domain

Sourced from Project Gutenberg

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§01Quick summary

What this poem is about

This is a charming and humorous letter in verse by Eugene Field, addressed to a young church secretary. In it, he expresses his gratitude for gifts from the American Southwest, including an Indian blanket, a snakeskin necktie, and a noisy donkey. Field playfully shares his penchant for mischief, boasts about teasing the donkey with the snakeskin tie, and cheekily attempts to match the young man with his daughter. The letter has a lighthearted and self-effacing tone, wrapped in a mock-formal religious style.

§02Themes

Recurring themes

§03Line by line

Stanza by stanza, with notes

  1. (A. Lamb) SEAL. / The First Wednesday after Pay day, September 11, 1895.

    Editor's note

    The heading imitates the formal dating styles found in official church or legal documents — 'The First Wednesday after Pay day' humorously parodies liturgical language such as 'The First Sunday after Pentecost.' The '(A. Lamb) SEAL' serves as a playful mock ecclesiastical seal, concluding with a pun on 'A. Lamb' (the Agnus Dei, or Lamb of God), which sets a tone of warm, affectionate religious satire.

  2. On an occasion of this lady's visit to the South-west...

    Editor's note

    This prose preface, crafted by the compiler or editor, sets the stage: a woman known only as 'A. Lamb' traveled to the Southwest and brought Field some gifts—a traditional Indian blanket, a snakeskin necktie, and a burro for his boys. The mention of the 'diamond-back rattlesnake' necktie is significant; Field plans to make it the highlight of his humor in the letter itself.

  3. DEAR BROTHER ----: I thank you most heartily for the handsome specimens of heathen manufacture...

    Editor's note

    Field opens with a mock-serious tone reminiscent of church brotherhood, then quickly undermines it by referring to the gifts as 'heathen manufacture' — a playful jab that portrays Native American crafts as charmingly pagan. He expresses gratitude to the secretary instead of the woman who actually provided the gifts, adding a subtle layer of comic misdirection.

  4. Mrs. Field is quite charmed--with the blanket, but I think I prefer the necktie...

    Editor's note

    The dash after 'charmed' creates a brief comic pause — we anticipate him saying she is charmed by him, but instead, she is charmed by the blanket. Field then admits he prefers the snakeskin tie, invoking the 'Old Adam' (referring to the Biblical fall and original sin) to clarify why the serpent's skin attracts him. It serves as a self-portrait of a lovable sinner.

  5. Nearly every morning I don that necktie and go out and twist the supersensitive tail of our intelligent imported burro...

    Editor's note

    This is the comic highlight of the letter. Field shares a daily routine involving his snakeskin tie and teasing the donkey until it lets out a loud, inappropriate bray. The language is intentionally grand — using phrases like 'supersensitive,' 'intelligent imported,' and 'ribald protests' — in reference to a donkey, which adds to the humor. The donkey's braying is labeled 'profane,' keeping up the religious joke.

  6. I shall ask the holy father--Pere ---- to bring you with him when he comes again to pay a parochial visit...

    Editor's note

    Field shifts his focus to matchmaking, revealing that he has a daughter he wishes to introduce to the young secretary. He uses the language of pastoral duty—terms like 'parochial visit' and 'holy father'—suggesting that arranging a marriage is akin to a church task. The directive to come 'without fear or trembling' parodies Philippians 2:12, turning the scripture from serious to humorous.

  7. I send you every assurance of cordial regard, and I beg you to salute the holy father for me with a kiss...

    Editor's note

    The closing reflects the Pauline epistles, where Paul often encourages readers to 'greet one another with a holy kiss.' Field mimics the rhythm of New Testament letter endings to wrap up a correspondence that's been quite irreverent. The final blessing — 'peace be unto his house' — carries a sincere warmth amidst all the humor.

§04Tone & mood

How this poem feels

The tone is playful and warmly irreverent. Field writes like someone who knows the ins and outs of formal religious correspondence well enough to twist them for a laugh. There's real affection at play — for the gift-giver, for the young secretary, for his own family — but it's always presented at an angle, through a joke or a mock-biblical flourish. The humor never feels mean; it's the kind of humor that comes from a man who feels at ease enough with faith to poke fun at it.

§05Symbols & metaphors

Symbols & metaphors

The snakeskin necktie
Field connects it directly to the serpent in Eden and the concept of the 'Old Adam'—representing original sin and our human desire for what’s off-limits. Wearing it becomes a little daily act of joyful rebellion, and he embraces that completely instead of feeling the need to apologize for it.
The burro
The donkey serves as a humorous representation of the chaos and noise found in everyday life. Its "ribald protests" reflect Field's own irreverent nature, and the act of tormenting it with the snakeskin tie links the two symbols: the sinner and his compliant victim, both creating a ruckus.
The Indian blanket
Assigned to Mrs. Field, the blanket symbolizes domestic comfort and respectability—territory of the wife. Field's choice of the necktie instead of the blanket is a subtle jab at the contrast between his wife's refined tastes and his own craving for the wild and the brutal.
The mock-liturgical dating ('First Wednesday after Pay day')
By parodying the church calendar, Field suggests that both the sacred and the everyday hold equal importance for him — and can be just as humorous. Payday is just as much a fixed point in a man's week as any feast day.
The kiss of greeting
Borrowed directly from Paul's epistles, the request to 'salute the holy father with a kiss' wraps up the letter with a touch of genuine tenderness, cloaked in a scriptural phrase. This implies that underneath all the humor, Field genuinely conveys warmth.

§06Historical context

Historical context

Eugene Field (1850–1895) was a journalist and poet from Chicago, famous for his children's poems like "Wynken, Blynken, and Nod" and "Little Boy Blue." He was also well-regarded during his lifetime for his sharp and humorous newspaper columns as well as his personal letters. He passed away in September 1895, the same month this letter was written, making it one of his final pieces. Field had a playful and complex relationship with religious language — he wasn't against faith but enjoyed experimenting with its expressions. In the 1890s, the American Southwest was still seen as a land of romantic frontier myths for Midwesterners, and items from that area had an exotic allure. This letter was kept and published after his death as a showcase of Field's witty correspondence, a form he approached with the same care as his published poetry.

§07FAQ

Questions readers ask

Is this actually a poem, or is it a letter?

It’s a letter, yet it’s been preserved and published as a literary artifact—given the same attention as a poem or essay. Field was known for crafting letters that were performances in their own right, and this one was chosen for publication because it captures his voice at its most characteristic: humorous, warm, and rich with biblical wordplay.

What does 'the Old Adam' mean?

It describes humanity's natural inclination toward sin, based on the story of Adam and Eve in Genesis. Field uses this phrase to humorously illustrate why he prefers a snakeskin necktie over a respectable blanket — he's playfully suggesting that he's attracted to the serpent's perspective in the tale.

Why does Field call the gifts 'heathen manufacture'?

He’s making a joke. From a 19th-century churchgoing Midwesterner's viewpoint, Native American crafts might technically be labeled as 'heathen' since they were created outside the Christian tradition. Field uses the term with clear affection and no genuine contempt; the humor targets the pretentiousness of that label, not the people who created the gifts.

What is the 'land of Nod' reference?

In Genesis, the Land of Nod is the place where Cain ended up after his exile. Field uses this name playfully to refer to the American Southwest—a wild and remote area. He might also be nodding to the phrase 'land of Nod,' which is often used to mean sleep, bringing in an extra touch of whimsy.

Why does Field want to introduce the secretary to his daughter?

It’s a humorous take on matchmaking. The pastor describes the secretary as 'circumspect and diligent'—just the type of young man any father would want for his daughter. Field uses a playful, mock-ecclesiastical tone to add humor, but the underlying intention is sincere.

What does 'without fear or trembling' refer to?

It plays on a line from Philippians 2:12, where Paul encourages believers to 'work out your salvation with fear and trembling.' Field turns this around to comfort the young man, suggesting that coming to his house doesn’t require any such worry — a subtle, clever nod to scripture.

Why was this written so close to Field's death?

Field passed away on November 4, 1895, only weeks after the letter dated September 11, 1895. He was already unwell. However, the letter's lively tone and humor reveal no indication of a man aware of his impending death, making it even more touching in hindsight. It was published after his death as a testament to his vibrant spirit until the very end.

What is the significance of the '(A. Lamb) SEAL' at the top?

Official church documents often featured a seal with the symbol of the Agnus Dei — the Lamb of God. The name 'A. Lamb' belongs to the woman who brought the gifts, and Field cleverly uses her name as a mock ecclesiastical seal, transforming a person's name into a pun and turning that pun into a humorous jab at religious formality.

Citation

Cite this poem

MLA

Field, Eugene. "Eugenio Agro." Storgy, https://storgy.com/poems/eugenio-agro-eugene-field/.

APA

Field, E. (n.d.). Eugenio agro. Storgy. https://storgy.com/poems/eugenio-agro-eugene-field/

TeacherAP Lit Q1 scaffold — preview

Row A — Thesis

1 pt

In 'EUGENIO AGRO.,' Eugene Field uses the letter's mock-ecclesiastical register—its invocations of 'the holy father,' its benedictions of peace, and its playful confessions of sin—to argue that genuine human warmth survives and flourishes …

  • Row B — Evidence + Commentary4 pts
  • Row C — Sophistication1 pt
  • Common student errors
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