Author: Madison Julius Cawein

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    Here among the beeches
    Winds and wild perfume,
    That the twilight pleaches
    Into gleam and gloom,
    Build for her a room.

    Her whose Beauty cometh,
    Misty as the morn,
    When the wild-bee hummeth,
    At its honey-horn,
    In the wayside thorn.

    As the wood grows dimmer,
    With the drowsy night,
    Like a moonbeam glimmer
    Here she walks in white,
    With a firefly light.

    Moths around her flitting,
    Like a moth she goes,
    Here a moment sitting
    By this wilding rose,
    With my heart's repose.

    Every bud and flower
    From her look has caught
    Something of that hour
    While she stood in thought
    Gazing into naught.

    Every bough that dances
    Has assumed the grace
    Of her form; and fancies,
    Flashed from eye and face,
    Brood about the place.

    Every wind that flutters,
    Says what is expressed
    Of her heart and utters
    Sounds of peace and rest
    Pulsing in her breast.

    And the water, shaken
    In its plunge and poise,
    To itself has taken
    Quiet of her voice,
    And restrains its joys.

    Would that these could tell me
    What and whence she is,
    She, who doth enspell me,
    Fill my soul with bliss
    Of her spirit-kiss.

    Though the heart beseech her,
    And the soul implore,
    Who is it may reach her,
    Safe behind the door
    Of all woodland lore?

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Type of Poem: Lyric Poem

Date Written:

Date Published:

Language: English

Keywords: Public Domain

Source: Public Domain Collection

Publisher:

Rights/Permissions: Public Domain

Comments/Notes: This poem is a vivid exploration of nature and beauty, skillfully blending the natural world with the ethereal presence of an unseen, admired figure. The theme of nature is not merely a backdrop but an active participant in the poem, as the poet's feelings and thoughts are reflected in the wildflowers, the winds, the water, and other elements of the natural world. The poem also suggests a theme of longing or unrequited love, as the speaker yearns to understand and reach the elusive figure who "fills [his] soul with bliss."

The tone of the poem is simultaneously calming and yearning, capturing the tranquility of the natural setting and the speaker's deep longing for the admired figure. The structure of the poem, with its consistent rhythm and rhyme scheme, further contributes to the calming tone, while the repetition of the pronoun "her" and the descriptive phrases associated with her amplify the sense of yearning. Notably, the poet uses imagery and personification extensively to depict the natural setting as alive and responsive to the speaker's emotions. The "wind that flutters" speaks of the figure's heart, the "water, shaken" takes on the quiet of her voice, and even the "bough that dances" takes on her grace. These literary devices create a sense of intimacy between the speaker, the figure, and the natural world, reinforcing the poem's themes of nature, beauty, and longing.