'A Forsaken Garden' by Algernon Charles Swinburne
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IN a coign of the cliff between lowland and highland,
At the sea-down's edge between windward and lee,
Walled round with rocks as an inland island,
The ghost of a garden fronts the sea.
A girdle of brushwood and thorn encloses
The steep square slope of the blossomless bed
Where the weeds that grew green from the graves of its roses
Now lie dead.
The fields fall southward, abrupt and broken,
To the low last edge of the long lone land.
If a step should sound or a word be spoken,
Would a ghost not rise at the strange guest's hand?
So long have the grey bare walks lain guestless,
Through branches and briars if a man make way,
He shall find no life but the sea-wind's, restless
Night and day.
The dense hard passage is blind and stifled
That crawls by a track none turn to climb
To the strait waste place that the years have rifled
Of all but the thorns that are touched not of time.
The thorns he spares when the rose is taken;
The rocks are left when he wastes the plain.
The wind that wanders, the weeds wind-shaken,
These remain.
Not a flower to be pressed of the foot that falls not;
As the heart of a dead man the seed-plots are dry;
From the thicket of thorns whence the nightingale calls not,
Could she call, there were never a rose to reply.
Over the meadows that blossom and wither
Rings but the note of a sea-bird's song;
Only the sun and the rain come hither
All year long.
The sun burns sere and the rain dishevels
One gaunt bleak blossom of scentless breath.
Only the wind here hovers and revels
In a round where life seems barren as death.
Here there was laughing of old, there was weeping,
Haply, of lovers none ever will know,
Whose eyes went seaward a hundred sleeping
Years ago.
Heart handfast in heart as they stood, "Look thither,"
Did he whisper? "look forth from the flowers to the sea;
For the foam-flowers endure when the rose-blossoms wither,
And men that love lightly may die---but we?"
And the same wind sang and the same waves whitened,
And or ever the garden's last petals were shed,
In the lips that had whispered, the eyes that had lightened,
Love was dead.
Or they loved their life through, and then went whither?
And were one to the endÑbut what end who knows?
Love deep as the sea as a rose must wither,
As the rose-red seaweed that mocks the rose.
Shall the dead take thought for the dead to love them ?
What love was ever as deep as a grave ?
They are loveless now as the grass above them
Or the wave.
All are at one now, roses and lovers,
Not known of the cliffs and the fields and the sea.
Not a breath of the time that has been hovers
In the air now soft with a summer to be.
Not a breath shall there sweeten the seasons hereafter
Of the flowers or the lovers that laugh now or weep,
When as they that are free now of weeping and laughter
We shall sleep.
Here death may deal not again for ever;
Here change may come not till all change end.
From the graves they have made they shall rise up never,
Who have left nought living to ravage and rend.
Earth, stones, and thorns of the wild ground growing,
While the sun and the rain live, these shall be;
Till a last wind's breath upon all these blowing
Roll the sea.
Till the slow sea rise and the sheer cliff crumble,
Till terrace and meadow the deep gulfs drink,
Till the strength of the waves of the high tides humble
The fields that lessen, the rocks that shrink,
Here now in his triumph where all things falter,
Stretched out on the spoils that his own hand spread,
As a god self-slain on his own strange altar,
Death lies dead.
Editor 1 Interpretation
A Forsaken Garden by Algernon Charles Swinburne: A Critique
Oh, A Forsaken Garden! Such a hauntingly beautiful poem. One can almost feel the melancholic air of the forsaken garden as they delve deeper into the words of Algernon Charles Swinburne. This poem is a masterpiece, one that leaves an indelible impression on the reader's mind. In this critique, I will provide a detailed analysis of the poem with an aim to unravel its underlying themes, symbolism, and the poet's intended message.
The Poet's Background
Before delving deeper into the poem, it's important to understand the poet's background. Algernon Charles Swinburne was an English poet, playwright, and novelist born in 1837. He was one of the most prominent poets of the Victorian era and was known for his poetry that often dealt with controversial themes such as sexuality and politics. Swinburne's work was heavily influenced by the Romantics, and he was considered to be one of the Pre-Raphaelite poets.
A Forsaken Garden: A Summary
A Forsaken Garden is a poem that speaks of the beauty and sadness of a garden that has been left to wither away. The poem is divided into three stanzas, each with nine lines. The first stanza describes the garden's beauty and the second stanza talks about how it has been left to die. The final stanza is a reflection on the impermanence of life.
In the first stanza, Swinburne paints a vivid picture of the garden's beauty. He describes the flowers and trees in great detail, highlighting their vibrant colors and their sweet fragrance. He also mentions the birds that sing in the garden, and the stream that flows through it. The beauty of the garden is contrasted with the image of a neglected house nearby, which is overgrown with moss and ivy.
In the second stanza, the poet shifts his focus to the garden's present state. He describes how the flowers have withered away and the trees have lost their leaves. The once clear stream is now muddy and choked with weeds. The contrast between the garden's past and present state is stark, and it is clear that the garden has been abandoned for a long time.
In the final stanza, Swinburne reflects on the impermanence of life. He compares the garden's fate to that of human life, which is fleeting and transitory. He concludes the poem with the poignant image of the neglected garden continuing to decay, even as life goes on around it.
Symbolism in the Poem
A Forsaken Garden is rich with symbolism, which adds depth and meaning to the poem. The garden itself represents life, and its beauty and vibrancy symbolize the joys of living. The neglected house nearby represents death, and its decayed state symbolizes the inevitability of death.
The flowers and trees in the garden symbolize the fleeting nature of life and its beauty. The fact that they wither away and die is a reminder that nothing lasts forever. The birds that sing in the garden symbolize the joys of life, and their absence in the second stanza highlights the loss of those joys.
The muddy stream and the weeds that choke it represent the corruption and decay that come with neglect. They symbolize the negative effects of neglecting life's joys and allowing them to wither away.
Themes in the Poem
A Forsaken Garden is a poem that deals with several themes, including the transitory nature of life, the impermanence of beauty, and the inevitability of decay and death. The poem is a reflection on the fleeting nature of life and the importance of cherishing its joys while they last.
Another theme that is explored in the poem is the idea of neglect. The neglected garden represents the consequences of neglecting life's joys and allowing them to wither away. The poem is a cautionary tale that reminds us of the importance of nurturing and cherishing the beauty and joys of life.
The Poet's Message
The message of A Forsaken Garden is a poignant one. The poem reminds us of the fleeting nature of life and the importance of cherishing its joys while they last. It is a reflection on the impermanence of beauty and the inevitability of decay and death.
Swinburne's message is a cautionary one, reminding us of the importance of nurturing and cherishing the beauty and joys of life. It is a reminder that neglecting life's joys can lead to a life that is empty and devoid of meaning.
Conclusion
In conclusion, A Forsaken Garden is a hauntingly beautiful poem that speaks to the transitory nature of life and the importance of cherishing its joys while they last. The poem is rich with symbolism and explores several themes, including the impermanence of beauty and the inevitability of decay and death.
Swinburne's message is a poignant one, reminding us of the importance of nurturing and cherishing the beauty and joys of life. It is a cautionary tale that warns us of the consequences of neglecting life's joys and allows us to reflect on the fleeting nature of our existence.
Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation
Poetry has always been a medium of expression for the human soul. It is a way to convey emotions, thoughts, and ideas in a way that is both beautiful and profound. Algernon Charles Swinburne's "A Forsaken Garden" is a classic example of how poetry can capture the essence of human emotions and experiences.
The poem is a lamentation of a once-beautiful garden that has now been abandoned and left to wither away. The speaker describes the garden in vivid detail, painting a picture of its former glory. He talks about the flowers that used to bloom there, the trees that used to provide shade, and the birds that used to sing in its branches. But now, all that is left is a desolate wasteland, a shadow of its former self.
The poem is divided into three stanzas, each with its own distinct tone and message. In the first stanza, the speaker describes the garden in its prime. He talks about the flowers that used to bloom there, the trees that used to provide shade, and the birds that used to sing in its branches. He describes the garden as a place of beauty and tranquility, a place where one could escape from the chaos of the world and find peace.
But in the second stanza, the tone shifts. The speaker describes how the garden has been abandoned and left to wither away. He talks about how the flowers have died, the trees have been cut down, and the birds have flown away. He describes the garden as a place of sadness and despair, a place where one can only feel the pain of loss and abandonment.
The third stanza is perhaps the most powerful of all. Here, the speaker reflects on the transience of life and the inevitability of death. He talks about how everything in the world is fleeting, how even the most beautiful things will eventually fade away. He describes the garden as a metaphor for life itself, a place where everything is born, grows, and eventually dies.
What makes "A Forsaken Garden" such a powerful poem is its ability to capture the essence of human experience. The poem speaks to the universal human experience of loss and abandonment, of the fleeting nature of life, and the inevitability of death. It is a reminder that everything in life is temporary, that even the most beautiful things will eventually fade away.
The poem is also a commentary on the human relationship with nature. It speaks to the destructive nature of humanity and our tendency to exploit and destroy the natural world. The garden in the poem is a metaphor for the natural world, and its destruction is a reflection of our own destructive tendencies.
In conclusion, "A Forsaken Garden" is a classic example of how poetry can capture the essence of human experience. It is a powerful reminder of the transience of life, the inevitability of death, and the destructive nature of humanity. It is a poem that speaks to the universal human experience of loss and abandonment, and it is a testament to the enduring power of poetry as a medium of expression.
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