Afterword

By Madison Julius Cawein

    What vague traditions do the golden eves,     What legends do the dawns     Inscribe in fire on Heaven's azure leaves,     The red sun colophons?     What ancient stories do the waters verse?     What tales of war and love     Do winds within the Earth's vast house rehearse,     God's stars stand guard above?     Would I could know them as they are expressed     In hue and melody!     And say, in words, the beauties they suggest,     Language their mystery!     And in one song magnificently rise,     The music of the spheres,     That more than marble should immortalize     My name in after years.

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Poem Details

Language: English
Keywords: Public Domain
Source: Public Domain Collection
Rights/Permissions: Public Domain

Analysis & Notes:
This poem is an exploration of the grandeur of the natural world and a reflection on the human desire to understand and encapsulate it in art, particularly through the medium of language. The poem uses the metaphor of nature as a vast book, filled with "legends" and "ancient stories," inscribed on "Heaven's azure leaves" and rehearsed by the "winds within the Earth's vast house." This metaphor not only highlights the beauty and mystery of the universe, but also suggests the poet's role as an interpreter or translator of these cosmic narratives.

The tone of the poem is both reverential, in its awe of nature's majesty, and somewhat melancholic, in its recognition of the limitations of human language to fully capture that majesty. The poem's structure, with its consistent rhythm and rhyme scheme, emphasizes the sense of order and harmony in the universe, while the use of questions and conditional statements underscores the poet's yearning for understanding. The poem also employs a number of striking literary devices, such as the use of "colophons" to suggest the sun's role as a kind of divine signature on the day, and "the music of the spheres" as a metaphor for the harmonious workings of the cosmos. The final lines express the poet's aspiration for his art to transcend his own mortality and achieve a kind of immortality, echoing the timeless beauty of the natural world he seeks to describe.

Exploring Lyric Poetry

Lyric poetry is a powerful and intimate form of expression, characterized by its focus on the personal emotions and thoughts of the poet. Often musical in nature, lyric poems resonate with readers through their vivid language and rhythmic flow, capturing moments of intense feeling.


Here are some key characteristics that define lyric poetry:

  • Expressive Language: Lyric poems use rich and evocative language to convey deep emotions, often painting a vivid picture of the poet's inner world.
  • Personal Perspective: Typically written in the first person, these poems offer a window into the poet's personal experiences, thoughts, and reflections.
  • Musicality: Lyric poems often feature a rhythmic structure, with meter and rhyme that give them a song-like quality, enhancing the emotional impact.

From ancient odes to contemporary free verse, lyric poetry remains a beloved and enduring form, celebrated for its ability to articulate the nuances of human emotion in a way that resonates deeply with readers.