The poem “Follower” is about the poet’s childhood memories of his father working on the farm. It shows the deep love, respect, and admiration he had for his father’s skill and strength. It also shows how the relationship between father and son changes over time — the father was once the strong leader, but now, in old age, he follows the son.

The Poet’s Father Works with Horse-Plough: The poet describes his father working with a horse-plough in the field. His father’s shoulders are broad and strong, like a full sail filled with wind. The horses pull the plough hard. The father makes a clicking sound with his tongue to guide the horses.

His Father is an Expert Farmer: The poet calls his father “an expert.” He knows exactly how to adjust the plough and make the soil turn smoothly. He works with great skill and control. The heavy sods of earth roll perfectly as he ploughs, without breaking. When he reaches the end of the field, with one pull of the reins, he makes the sweating horses turn and start again neatly. His father’s eyes are sharp and focused. He looks at the ground carefully. He plans every furrow (line of soil) with accuracy.

The Poet Tries to Follow His Father as a Boy: The poet then remembers himself as a small boy walking behind his father. He tries to “follow” him. But he keeps stumbling and falling into the soft earth that his father has already ploughed. Sometimes, when he is tired, his father lifts him and carries him on his back.

As a child, the poet wanted to grow up and be just like his father. He wanted to learn how to plough the fields, to hold the plough with strength, and to work perfectly like him. But he realizes that he could never match his father’s skill. All he ever did was follow him around the farm. He only walked behind him and admired him.

The Father Follows the Son in Old Age: He admits that he was a “nuisance” as a child — always talking, tripping, and getting in the way. But now, things have changed. His father has grown old and weak. In the final lines, the poet says, “It is my father who keeps stumbling / Behind me, and will not go away.” This means that now, in old age, the father depends on the son. The roles are reversed. Once the son followed the father, and now the father follows the son.

Main Idea: The poem shows love, respect, and change in the relationship between father and son. The poet admires his father’s strength and skill. But time changes everything — the once-powerful father becomes old and weak, and now the son leads while the father follows.