Author: Madison Julius Cawein

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    One tree, storm-twisted, like an evil hag,
    The sea-wind in its hair, beside a path
    Waves frantic arms, as if in wild-witch wrath
    At all the world. Gigantic, grey as slag,
    Great boulders shoulder through the hills, or crag
    The coast with danger, monster-like, that lifts
    Huge granite, round which wheel the gulls and swifts,
    And at whose base the rotting sea-weeds drag.
    Inward the hills are wooded; valley-cleft;
    Tangled with berries; vistaed dark with pines;
    At whose far end, as 'twere within a frame,
    Some trail of water that the ocean left
    Gleams like a painting where one white sail shines,
    Lit with the sunset's poppy-coloured flame.

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Type of Poem: Sonnet

Date Written:

Date Published:

Language: English

Keywords: Public Domain

Source: Public Domain Collection

Publisher:

Rights/Permissions: Public Domain

Comments/Notes: This poem, rich in vivid imagery and a tangible sense of place, uses nature as a metaphor to explore themes of conflict, decay, and ultimately, hope. The first half of the poem is filled with aggressive, violent imagery - a tree twisted by storms, waving "frantic arms," boulders shouldering through hills, and a craggy coast threatening danger. These images, depicted with a hard, dark palette of greys and harsh textures, set a tone of struggle and hostility.

The second half, however, leads us into a more serene and hopeful landscape. The hills are "wooded", the valleys "tangled with berries," and the vista is "dark with pines." This shift in scenery and tone also marks a shift in literary devices. Where the first half uses simile and metaphor to create a sense of danger, the second half uses them to create a sense of peace and serenity. The poem ends on a hopeful note, with the image of a single white sail illuminated by the "sunset's poppy-coloured flame." This is a stark contrast to the "rotting sea-weeds" at the base of the granite in the earlier lines. The poem, therefore, masterfully moves from a sense of conflict and struggle to a sense of tranquillity and hope, using the natural world as its canvas.