A Mountain Spring

By Henry Kendall

Sonnet
    Peace hath an altar there. The sounding feet     Of thunder and the ’wildering wings of rain     Against fire-rifted summits flash and beat,     And through grey upper gorges swoop and strain;     But round that hallowed mountain-spring remain,     Year after year, the days of tender heat,     And gracious nights, whose lips with flowers are sweet,     And filtered lights, and lutes of soft refrain.     A still, bright pool. To men I may not tell     The secret that its heart of water knows,     The story of a loved and lost repose;     Yet this I say to cliff and close-leaved dell:     A fitful spirit haunts yon limpid well,     Whose likeness is the faithless face of Rose.

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Poem Details

Language: English
Keywords: Public Domain
Source: Public Domain Collection
Rights/Permissions: Public Domain
Analysis & Notes:
This poem is a meditation on the power of nature to transcend human suffering, conveyed through a contemplative and lyrical exploration of the speaker's relationship with a serene and sacred natural setting. The poem's formal structure, with its consistent meter and lineation, contributes to a sense of stately calm, while the use of imagery and sound the sounding feet / Of thunder and the filtered lights evokes a rich sensory experience. The voice is introspective and melancholic, as the speaker grapples with the limits of language in conveying the depths of human emotion. A structural turn occurs in the final stanza, where the speaker's gaze shifts from the natural world to the faithless face of Rose, suggesting a personal connection to the poem's themes of loss and longing. The tone shifts from contemplative to wistful, underscoring the speaker's recognition of the inadequacy of language in expressing the complexities of human experience. One precise observation is that the poem's use of the rose as a symbol of lost love is both a literal and metaphorical echo of the natural world's own beauty and fragility.

Understanding the Sonnet

The sonnet is one of the most enduring and celebrated forms of poetry, known for its strict structure and profound themes. With a history spanning centuries, sonnets have been used to explore love, beauty, politics, and mortality, all within the confines of just 14 lines.

Sonnets are characterized by their precise form and rhyme scheme, which vary depending on the type of sonnet. Here’s a closer look:

  • Shakespearean (English) Sonnet: Composed of three quatrains followed by a final couplet, with a rhyme scheme of ABABCDCDEFEFGG. This form often builds a complex argument or narrative, culminating in a powerful closing statement.
  • Petrarchan (Italian) Sonnet: Divided into an octave (eight lines) and a sestet (six lines), with a typical rhyme scheme of ABBAABBA for the octave, followed by various patterns in the sestet such as CDECDE or CDCDCD. The octave usually presents a problem, with the sestet providing a resolution.
  • Meter: Sonnets are traditionally written in iambic pentameter, which gives the poem a rhythmic and melodic quality that enhances its emotional impact.

The sonnet’s enduring appeal lies in its ability to condense complex emotions and ideas into a small but potent package, making it a favorite form for poets seeking to explore profound themes with precision and elegance.