16 pages 32 minutes read

James K. Baxter

Wild Bees

Fiction | Poem | Adult | Published in 1949

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Further Reading & Resources

Related Poems

The Bee”  by Emily Dickinson (1896)

A poem which, like Baxter’s, explores the idea of bees as warriors.

Bees” by Diane Fahey

This poem by an Australian poet examines our relationship with bees, using references to classical mythology that complement the ones in Baxter’s poem.

New Zealand” by James K. Baxter (1979)

Baxter explores the pride and history of his homeland, which shaped much of his literary work.

Further Literary Resources

The Earth Day organization celebrates the role of honeybees in the ecosystem with trivia, statistics, and suggestions for playing a part in honeybee conservation.

Landfall's 'buried literary treasure' online” by Jesse Mulligan (2018)

Landfall, New Zealand’s oldest literary journal where “Wild Bees” was first published, offers its early issues to read online. These journals include early work from notable New Zealand writers including James K. Baxter.

Fall of Troy: the legend and the facts” by Mariacarmela Montesanto (2018)

Montesanto explores Troy’s fall using approachable language and references from popular culture, separating the history from the myth and reflecting on the fall of Troy’s modern cultural significance.