Both Uses of
scythe
in
Leaves of Grass
-
By the mechanic's wife with her babe at her nipple interceding for
every person born,
Three scythes at harvest whizzing in a row from three lusty angels
with shirts bagg'd out at their waists,
The snag-tooth'd hostler with red hair redeeming sins past and to come,
Selling all he possesses, traveling on foot to fee lawyers for his
brother and sit by him while he is tried for forgery;†Chpt 3
- All gather and all harvest,
Yet but for thee O Powerful, not a scythe might swing as now in security,
Not a maize-stalk dangle as now its silken tassels in peace.†Chpt 24 *scythe = a tool for cutting grass that has a curved blade and a long handle that is held with both hands
Definitions:
-
(1)
(scythe) a tool for cutting grass that has a curved blade and a long handle that is held with both hands
(See this Google Images link for scythe to see samples.) -
(2)
(meaning too rare to warrant focus) meaning too rare to warrant focus:
Much more rarely, scythe can be used as a verb to reference the cutting of weeds or tall grasses (such as hay or wheat) with a scythe. Metaphorically, the verb form can be used to describe cutting through anything as in "scythed through the problems in less than a week."