Prentice Alvin and the No-Good Plow
Encyclopedia
"Prentice Alvin and the No-Good Plow" is a poem
by Orson Scott Card
. It appears in his short story collection Maps in a Mirror
. Card originally published this poem in the August 1989 issue of Sunstone
magazine. In (1981) "Prentice Alvin and the No-Good Plow" won first prize in the long serious poem category at the Utah State Institute of Fine Arts. This epic poem was the basis for Card's The Tales of Alvin Maker
series.
named Alvin. One day when there wasn’t much work to do the blacksmith
told Alvin to go into the woods to look for berries. In the woods Alvin meets a red-winged bird that makes a "maker" out of him. When he goes back to the blacksmith’s shop he tries to make a horseshoe
with the blacksmith’s help. However, he is unable to strike the metal with the hammer to bend it. Later when he is alone he follows the bird's instructions and magically makes a plow of gold. Putting the plow in a bag he sets off to find some soil that his plow can bring to life. At last Alvin comes to a river in the middle of a foggy land and takes his plow out of the bag. The fog begins to clear and he meets a man named Verily Cooper. Together they build a plow frame and when they touch it the plow comes to life and plows the ground.
. According to Card he decided to try to write an epic poem after reading “Faerie Queene” by Edmund Spenser
in one of his literature classes. At the time Card wasn’t planning on expanding "Prentice Alvin and the No-Good Plow" into a novel series. It was originally meant to stand on its own.
Poetry
Poetry is a form of literary art in which language is used for its aesthetic and evocative qualities in addition to, or in lieu of, its apparent meaning...
by Orson Scott Card
Orson Scott Card
Orson Scott Card is an American author, critic, public speaker, essayist, columnist, and political activist. He writes in several genres, but is primarily known for his science fiction. His novel Ender's Game and its sequel Speaker for the Dead both won Hugo and Nebula Awards, making Card the...
. It appears in his short story collection Maps in a Mirror
Maps in a Mirror
Maps in a Mirror is a collection of short stories by Orson Scott Card. Like Card's novels, most of the stories have a science fiction or fantasy theme...
. Card originally published this poem in the August 1989 issue of Sunstone
Sunstone Magazine
Sunstone is a magazine published by the Sunstone Education Foundation, Inc., a 501 nonprofit corporation, that discusses Mormonism through scholarship, art, short fiction, and poetry. The foundation began the publication in 1974 and considers it a vehicle for free and frank exchange in The Church...
magazine. In (1981) "Prentice Alvin and the No-Good Plow" won first prize in the long serious poem category at the Utah State Institute of Fine Arts. This epic poem was the basis for Card's The Tales of Alvin Maker
The Tales of Alvin Maker
The Tales of Alvin Maker is a series of novels by Orson Scott Card that revolve around the experiences of a young man, Alvin Miller, who discovers he has incredible powers for creating and shaping things around him...
series.
Plot summary
This poem is about a young blacksmith’s apprenticeApprenticeship
Apprenticeship is a system of training a new generation of practitioners of a skill. Apprentices or protégés build their careers from apprenticeships...
named Alvin. One day when there wasn’t much work to do the blacksmith
Blacksmith
A blacksmith is a person who creates objects from wrought iron or steel by forging the metal; that is, by using tools to hammer, bend, and cut...
told Alvin to go into the woods to look for berries. In the woods Alvin meets a red-winged bird that makes a "maker" out of him. When he goes back to the blacksmith’s shop he tries to make a horseshoe
Horseshoe
A horseshoe, is a fabricated product, normally made of metal, although sometimes made partially or wholly of modern synthetic materials, designed to protect a horse's hoof from wear and tear. Shoes are attached on the palmar surface of the hooves, usually nailed through the insensitive hoof wall...
with the blacksmith’s help. However, he is unable to strike the metal with the hammer to bend it. Later when he is alone he follows the bird's instructions and magically makes a plow of gold. Putting the plow in a bag he sets off to find some soil that his plow can bring to life. At last Alvin comes to a river in the middle of a foggy land and takes his plow out of the bag. The fog begins to clear and he meets a man named Verily Cooper. Together they build a plow frame and when they touch it the plow comes to life and plows the ground.
Characters
- Alvin - main character
- The blacksmith - unnamed
- The red-winged bird - unnamed
- The living plow - made by Alvin
- Verily Cooper - a barrel maker
- Old Mizeray - a river
- Farmers - unnamed
Origins of Prentice Alvin
According to Card he came up with the idea to write "Prentice Alvin and the No-Good Plow" while attending graduate school at the University of UtahUniversity of Utah
The University of Utah, also known as the U or the U of U, is a public, coeducational research university in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. The university was established in 1850 as the University of Deseret by the General Assembly of the provisional State of Deseret, making it Utah's oldest...
. According to Card he decided to try to write an epic poem after reading “Faerie Queene” by Edmund Spenser
Edmund Spenser
Edmund Spenser was an English poet best known for The Faerie Queene, an epic poem and fantastical allegory celebrating the Tudor dynasty and Elizabeth I. He is recognised as one of the premier craftsmen of Modern English verse in its infancy, and one of the greatest poets in the English...
in one of his literature classes. At the time Card wasn’t planning on expanding "Prentice Alvin and the No-Good Plow" into a novel series. It was originally meant to stand on its own.
Awards
This poem won first prize for "long serious poem" in the 1981 Utah State Institute of Fine Arts. Card admits that all the entries in this category won a prize (there were two), though his came in first.External links
- Publication information for Prentice Alvin and the No-Good Plow available from Card’s website
- "Prentice Alvin and the No-Good Plow" - available online from SunstoneSunstone MagazineSunstone is a magazine published by the Sunstone Education Foundation, Inc., a 501 nonprofit corporation, that discusses Mormonism through scholarship, art, short fiction, and poetry. The foundation began the publication in 1974 and considers it a vehicle for free and frank exchange in The Church...
magazine