Re: poem analyzing
Posted by:
Hugh Clary (---.washington-35rh15rt.dc.dial-access.att.net)
Date: December 02, 2021 12:12PM
THE OWL
Edward Thomas (1878-1917)
Downhill I came, hungry, and yet not starved;
Cold, yet had heat within me that was proof
Against the North wind; tired, yet so that rest
Had seemed the sweetest thing under a roof.
Then, at the inn I had food, fire, and rest,
Knowing how hungry, cold and tired was I.
All of the night was quite barred out except
An owl's cry, a most melancholy cry
Shaken out long and clear upon the hill,
No merry note, nor cause of merriment.
But one telling me plain what I escaped
And others could not, that night, as in I went.
And salted was my food, and my repose,
Salted and sobered, too, by the bird's voice
Speaking for all who lay under the stars,
Soldiers and poor, unable to rejoice.
Start with form and meter used, then mention rhyme scheme, and go into depth about the message the author wishes to convey. Find the differenced between 'accentual' and 'syllabic' rhythm.
As an aside, I read that Edward Thomas was the *real* inspiration for Robert Frost's poem, The Road Less Traveled. That is, in their walks together, Thomas was always dissatisfied they had not taken a different route.