16 pages • 32 minutes read
Wild Bees
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Background
Literary Context
“Wild Bees” was originally published in Landfall, New Zealand’s oldest and longest running literary magazine. Landfall has been renowned as a leading platform for emerging New Zealand writers. It is believed that the journal’s title comes from the poem “Landfall in Unknown Seas,” written by New Zealand poet Allen Curnow five years before the magazine’s inception.
When “Wild Bees” was published, the magazine was in its fourth year and run by editor Charles Brasch. The magazine gained popularity and in 1962 they published their first collective anthology, Landfall Country, which included Baxter’s work.
Landfall and Baxter’s rise into literary stardom coincided with a sudden inundation of artistic and intellectual practice in New Zealand. The 1940s and 1950s in particular saw more and more emerging poets fighting to have their voice heard, and more opportunities for publication. This created a polarization between poets who wanted to represent New Zealand and poets who wanted to be viewed by their own merits in an international context. Allen Curnow released his collection A book of New Zealand verse 1923–45, which sparked backlash from poets including Baxter in regard to what they saw as Curnow’s narrow-minded nationalism.
Ecological Context
James K. Baxter’s poem is particularly relevant today, when environmental and conservationist groups worldwide are fighting to preserve bees, a declining species. The endangerment of bees is having a negative effect on other aspects of the ecosystem, as certain native plants can’t pollinate without their help.
In North America, there are roughly 4,000 different species of bee, and one in four of those species are at risk of extinction (“Protecting Bees, Building Habitat, and Strengthening Communities Together.” thebeeconservacy.org.) Many of our everyday fruits, vegetables, and grains exist because of bee pollinators, and their endangerment puts our daily diet at risk.
However, there is another side to this issue often overlooked in conversations about environmental awareness. What many people don’t realize, and what Baxter may not have realized at the time of writing, is that honeybees are an invasive species in New Zealand. (Hancock, Farah. “The dark side of NZ’s honey bee.” 2018. newsroom.co.nz.)
New Zealand has 28 native species of bee, all of which are pollinators but do not produce honey. Honeybees were imported in the early 19th century and have become one of contemporary media’s best-loved livestock animals. By supporting beekeeping efforts and prioritizing the honeybee, the world is endangering native species.
Viewed through this polarizing lens, “Wild Bees” can be seen as a metaphor for colonialism, as honeybees take over the natural ecosystem, or even racial privilege, as people begin to view honeybees as inherently more valuable or deserving than their native species counterparts.
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