An Appreciation of English Poem
------A Winter Eden
Abstract:
The poem is beautiful in the soud, in the language and in the artistic conception. By analysing it in terms of its sound, meter and rhythm, the comparision and association, and finally the words of the poem, the readers can get a deeper understanding of the poem and get the profound feeling of the poet, and eventually foster an appreciative eye to life.
Introduction:
1. A brief introduction of the poet-Robert Frost
2. A comprehensive analysis of the poem
2.1 the sound of the poem
2.1.1 the rhyme among words: alliteration,consonance and rhyme
2.1.2 the rhyming scheme between lines
2.2 the meter of the poem: tetrameter
2.3 the rhythem of the poem: iambus
2.4 the comparision and association
2.5 words of the poem
3.Conclusion
4.Reference
An Appreciation of English Poem
------A Winter Eden
The poem A Winter Eden is written by Robert Frost who is an outstanding american poet. He usually writes some insignificant and common things but can inspire readers to draw some philosophy from it. This selected poem descripes a garden in the winter which is filled with tranquility, freshment and vigor as well. It portrays the winter garden in the alder swamp, the conies,the snow, the beast and the bird. The poem reflects a lovely and peaceful picture of winter.
The soud of the poem is fluent, smooth and full of rhythm.
First, about the rhyme between words. It is obvious that this poem is rich in alliteration and consonance. For example, in the fourth line of the first stanza,“and not melt snow or start a dormant tree”, the “not ”and “dormant”are assonance, while “snow ”and “start” are alliteration. In the second stanza, also in the last line, “and last year’s berries shinning with scarlet red”, the “year’s” and “berries” are consonance, and “shinning” and “scarlet” are alliteration. In the third stanza, in the line “where he can stretch and hold his highest feast”, the “hold” “his”and “highest” are alliteration, while “highest” and “feast” are consonance. In the fourth stanza, in the sentence “so near to paradise all pairing ends”, the words “paradise” and “ends” are also consonance. Another distinguished example is in the second line “here loveless birds now flock as winter friends”, where “loveless” “birds” and “as” “friends”are excellent consonance. In the last line of this stanza, the repetation of the word “which” creats rich rhyme. In the fifth stanza, in the last line “to make it worth life’s while to wake and sport”, “make”and “wake” comply with rhyme. These kinds of rhyme succucessfully infuse the poem with beautiful sound and is smooth in reading. Thus adds the charming of the poem.
Second, about the rhyme between the lines. Just look at the end of each line, we can draw that this poem’s rhyming scheme is “aabbccddeeffgghhiijj”by analysing the ending words “swamp, romp” “be and tree” “snow, below” “overhead,red” “beast, feast” “bark,mark” “ends, friends” “presume, bloom” “knock, o’clock”and “short, sport”. This kind of rhyming scheme also enable the poem coherent as a whole and makes the artistic conception integrated.
Now, about the meter and the rhythem of this poem. The poem is tetramater in terms of foot and is iambus in terms of metre.
A Winter Eden
A win/ter garden/ in an al/der swamp,
Where conies /now come/ our to sun/ and romp/,
As near/ a paradise/ as it /can be
And not /melt snow /or start /a dormant tree.
It lifts/ existence on /a plane /of snow
One le/vel higher/ than the earth/ below,
One le/vel near/er heaven /overhead,
And last/ year’s berries/ shining scar/let red.
It lifts/ a gaunt/ luxuria/ting beast
Where he/ can stretch /and hold /his highest feast
On some/ wild apple /tree’s young/ tender bark,
What well /may prove/ the year’s high/ girdle mark.
So near/ to paradise/ all pai/ring ends:
Here love/less birds/ now flock/ as winter friends,
Content /with bud-inspec/ting. They/ presume
To say/ which buds/ are leaf /and which are bloom.
A feather/-hammer gives/ a double/ knock.
This Eden day/ is done /at two/ o’clock.
An hour /of winter day/ might seem/ too short
To make/ it worth /life’s while/ to wake /and sport.
Just as marked in the above poem, the rhythem is mainly tetrameter iambus. For example, in the second line of the fisrt stanza, “Where conies /now come/ our to sun/ and romp/”, the stree is put on the second word in one foot. And there are four feet in one line, so it is tetrameter. Sinch in each foot, the first word or syllable is unstressed and the following one is streessed, so it is iambus.
The usage of iambus accords with the pronounciation rules of English, so it reads wonderful and fluent. Besides throught iambus, the poet can express his feelings freely and at easy. In this poem, the poet takes the advantage of iambus and expresses his feeling freely.
I have talked so much about the sound of the poem, now come to the content sector. This poem is an ode to the winter. It deccripes a lively, peaceful and also vigorous winter garden. The garden is just like the Eden in the Bible which is full of freedom, pleasure and tranquillity. Besides, a sense of optimism pervades in this poem. A sense of beauty and hope can also be found easily in this works.
Here, I will analysis it stanza by stanza. The poem consists of five stanzas. In the first stanza, the poet give us a general description of the garden in winter. The garden is in the alder swamp, that is in a moor and is surrounded by alder trees. From this we know that the environment of the garden is rather desolate and bleak. However, the place is not as desolate as it seems to be. Look, the small rabbits come out of their holes and enjoy the sunshine. They romp in the winter’s warm sunshine and enjoy their life. Such a scene looks just like an Eden in the real world. Besides, the garden is filled with tranquility. Becauce the noise of the rabbits don’t melt the snow or wake up a dormant tree. The dormant tree is a usage of persinification. The poet infuses the tree a kind of human spirit, so it can be sleepy. This description of the tree is vivid and reflects the tranquility of the winter garden.
In the second stanza, the poem descripes the above earth things. The last year’s berries is mentioned. They are scarlet red and the bright color reveals the brightness of the snow and the harmony of the winter garden.
The third stanza tells about a beast. This gaunt but luxuriating beast seeks for his food. It eats the tender branches of the apple tree which has fed it last year. From this we can see the revival of apple trees, and of all the plants. The apple tree that lushed last year come into life again. Even thought it is in winter but the spring is aroud the corner and it is hopeful that a better season is coming.
The fourth stanza describes the birds on the tree. The once lonely birds now become good friends and they flock togather guess which buds are going to be leafs and which will be flowers. They are expecting for the coming spring. So they are really joyful and have the mood to guess the leafs or flowers that will blossom in spring. I think this stanza is pervaded with hope.
The last stanza pictures a lovely scene that a woodpecker pecks into the tree and then the poet expresses his treasure of the cherished time in the winter garden.
Analysed from the whole poem, the winter garden really like an Eden. The poet compares it to paradise and empysises this for many times. So give the readers a direct impression that the garden just like the Eden. Here, the plants are ready to spring and bloom; the animals are alive and active. The bigger beast comes out to seek for food and waits for the new season. All of these are tranquil, peaceful, joyful and hopeful. I really like it. Like the optimistic spirit beneath the garden.
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