Garden Gossip

By Madison Julius Cawein

Lyric Poem
    Thin, chisel-fine a cricket chipped     The crystal silence into sound;     And where the branches dreamed and dripped     A grasshopper its dagger stripped     And on the humming darkness ground.     A bat, against the gibbous moon,     Danced, implike, with its lone delight;     The glowworm scrawled a golden rune     Upon the dark; and, emerald-strewn,     The firefly hung with lamps the night.     The flowers said their beads in prayer,     Dew-syllables of sighed perfume;     Or talked of two, soft-standing there,     One like a gladiole, straight and fair,     And one like some rich poppy-bloom.     The mignonette and feverfew     Laid their pale brows together: - "See!"     One whispered: "Did their step thrill through     Your roots?" - "Like rain." - "I touched the two     And a new bud was born in me."     One rose said to another: - "Whose     Is this dim music? song, that parts     My crimson petals like the dews?"     "My blossom trembles with sweet news -     It is the love of two young hearts."

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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 vivid depiction of a natural scene, where the poet has given life and voice to the inhabitants of the night. The first two stanzas captivate the reader with a detailed soundscape of the night, using personification and vivid imagery to render the cricket's chirruping as 'chipping', the grasshopper's movements as wielding a 'dagger', and the bat dancing 'implike'. The use of such strong, active verbs brings a sense of vibrancy and life to the scene.

In the latter three stanzas, the focus shifts from the broader scene to a more intimate conversation among the flowers, who are personified to the point of having their own perceptions, feelings, and dialogues. The poet plays with the theme of love, intertwining it with the natural elements. The flowers discuss the presence of two beings in love, paralleling their characteristics with distinct flowers - a gladiole and a poppy. The final stanza, with the rose trembling with 'sweet news', encapsulates the theme of love, suggesting the natural world as a silent, sentient observer of human emotions.

The poem is structured in five quatrains with a consistent AABB rhyme scheme, which gives a sense of musicality and rhythm. The tone is dreamy and contemplative, using the natural world as a canvas to explore themes of love, nature, and the intersection of the two. The standout literary device is personification, which is used extensively to bring the night scene to life, while metaphor and simile are used to draw comparisons between the natural elements and the human figures.

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.