Author: Madison Julius Cawein

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My heart is high, is high, my dear,
    And the warm wind sunnily blows;
 My heart is high with a mood that's cheer,
    And burns like a sun-blown rose.

 My heart is high, is high, my dear,
    And the Heaven's deep skies are blue;
 My heart is high as the passionate year,
    And smiles like a bud in dew.

 My heart, my heart is high, my sweet,
    For wild is the smell o' the wood,
 That gusts in the breeze with a pulse o' heat,
    Mad heat that beats like a blood.

 My heart, my heart is high, my sweet,
    And the sense of summer is full;
 A sense of summer, - full fields of wheat,
    Full forests and waters cool.

 My heart is high, is high, my heart,
    As the bee's that groans and swinks
 In the dabbled flowers that dart and part
    To his woolly bulk when he drinks.

 My heart is high, is high, my heart, - 
    Oh, sing again, O good, gray bird,
 That I may get that lilt by heart,
    And fit each note with a word.

 God's saints! I tread the air, my dear!
    Flow one with the running wind;
 And the stars that stare I swear, my dear,
    Right soon in my hair I'll find.

 To live high up a life of mist
    With the white things in white skies,
 With their limbs of pearl and of amethyst,
    Who laugh blue humorous eyes!

 Or to creep and to suck like an elfin thing
    To the aching heart of a rose;
 In the harebell's ear to cling and swing
    And whisper what no one knows!

 To live on wild honey as fresh as thin
    As the rain that's left in a flower,
 And roll forth golden from feet to chin
    In the god-flower's Dana shower!

 Or free, full-throated curve back the throat
    With a vigorous look at the blue,
 And sing right staunch with a lusty note
    Like the hawk hurled where he flew!

 God's life! the blood of the Earth is mine!
    And the mood of the Earth I'll take,
 And brim my soul with her wonderful wine,
    And sing till my heart doth break!

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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: The poem under analysis presents vibrant imagery and a joyful tone, expressing an intense connection with nature. Its theme revolves around the exuberance and richness of life, as well as the poet's profound affinity for the natural world. The repetition of the phrase "my heart is high" throughout the poem serves to underscore the poet's buoyant mood and his/her sense of spiritual elevation inspired by the surrounding environment.

The poet makes use of various literary devices such as similes, metaphors, and personification to create vivid and engaging pictures of nature. For instance, the poet's heart is likened to a "sun-blown rose" and "a bud in dew", which helps to convey the idea of a heart that is alive, blossoming, and vibrant just like these elements of nature. The structure of the poem, with its consistent use of rhymed couplets, lends a musical quality to the piece, complementing the themes of joy and vitality found within its lines. The poem ends with a powerful metaphor that symbolizes the poet's deep connection with the Earth: the poet will fill their soul with the Earth's "wonderful wine," suggesting a total immersion in, and celebration of, the natural world. Through the analysis, it's clear that the poem is a joyful and passionate ode to nature and life.