Rhyme Scheme: ababb ababb ababb ababb ababb ab
I love to rise in a summer morn,
When the birds sing on every tree;
The distant huntsman winds his horn,
And the skylark sings with me:
O what sweet company!
Poetic Devices
i. Alliteration - It is the repetition of a letter at the start of closely placed words. The repetition of the letter:
‘H’ in huntsman winds his horn.
‘S’ in the skylark sings.
ii. Imagery - The poet has given a visual description of the scene in the second, third and fourth lines.
iii. Consonance - There is a prominent sound of the consonant:
‘R’ in rise in a summer morn.
‘S’ in distant huntsman winds his horn.
iv. Assonance - There is a prominent sound of the vowel ‘i’ in distant huntsman winds his .
v. Personification - The poet has personified the birds and skylark by giving them the ability to sing.
But to go to school in a summer morn, –
O it drives all joy away!
Under a cruel eye outworn,
The little ones spend the day
In sighing and dismay.
Poetic Devices
i. Alliteration - It is the repetition of a letter at the start of closely placed words. The repetition of the letter ‘s’ in school in a summer morn.
ii. Consonance - There is a prominent sound of the consonant ‘t’ in the first line of the stanza.
iii. Assonance - There is a prominent sound of the vowel:
‘O’ in to go to school in a summer morn.
‘I’ in In sighing and dismay.
iv. Symbolism - Here, the poet has used the phrase ‘cruel eye’ to refer to the teacher.
v. Enjambment - The sentences are being continued to the next line without a break. It can be seen in the fourth line.
Ah then at times I drooping sit,
And spend many an anxious hour;
Nor in my book can I take delight,
Nor sit in learning’s bower,
Worn through with the dreary shower.
Poetic Devices
i. Alliteration - It is the repetition of a letter at the start of closely placed words. The repetition of the letter ‘a’ in And spend many an anxious.
ii. Anaphora - It is the repetition of a word at the start of two or more consecutive lines -
(Nor in my book can I take delight,
Nor sit in learning’s bower)
iii. Consonance - There is a prominent sound of the consonant ‘t’ in the first line and ‘r’ in the fourth line.
iv. Assonance - There is a prominent sound of the vowel ‘a’ in the second line and ‘i’ in the fourth line.
v. Repetition - The poet has repeated the word ‘sit’.
vi. Symbolism - Here, the poet has used the phrase ‘dreary shower’ to refer to the useless lectures.
How can the bird that is born for joy
Sit in a cage and sing?
How can a child, when fears annoy,
But droop his tender wing,
And forget his youthful spring!
Poetic Devices
i. Enjambment - The sentences are being continued to the next line without a break. It can be seen in the first line.
ii. Alliteration - It is the repetition of a letter at the start of closely placed words. The repetition of the letter:
‘B’ in bird that is born.
‘C’ in can a child.
iii. Assonance - There is a prominent sound of the vowel ‘o’ in the first line and ‘i’ in the second line of the stanza.
iv. Metaphor - The poet has compared ‘youth’ with ‘spring’ in the last line of the stanza.
O father and mother if buds are nipped,
And blossoms blown away;
And if the tender plants are stripped
Of their joy in the springing day,
By sorrow and care’s dismay, –
How shall the summer arise in joy,
Or the summer fruits appear?
Poetic Devices
i. Enjambment - The sentences are being continued to the next line without a break. It can be seen in the third line.
ii. Repetition - The poet has repeated the words ‘summer’ and ‘joy’.
iii. Alliteration - It is the repetition of a letter at the start of closely placed words. The repetition of the letter ‘b’ in blossoms blown.
iv. Consonance - There is a prominent sound of the consonant ‘r’ in the last line, ‘t’ in the third line and ‘s’ in the sixth line.
v. Assonance - There is a prominent sound of the vowel ‘e’ in the first line and ‘i’ in the fourth line.
vi. Metaphor - The poet has compared the stripping of tender plants to depriving children of joy and freedom.