Part I, Section XVI
"By stream and spring, in glades and woodlands lone,Beside our very cot I've gathered flowersInscribed with signs and characters unknown;But the frail scrolls still baffle all my powers:What is this language and where is the keyThat opes its weird and wondrous mystery?
"The forests know it, and the mountains know,And it is written in the sunset's dyes;A revelation to the world belowIs daily going on before our eyes;And, but for sinful thoughts, I do not doubtThat we could spell the thrilling secret out.
"O mother! somewhere on this lovely earthI lived, and understood that mystic tongue,But, for some reason, to my second birthOnly the dullest memories have clung,Like that fair tree that even while blossomingKeeps the dead berries of a former spring.
"Who shall put life in these?--my nightly dreamsSome teacher of supernal powers foretell;A fair and stately shape appears, which seemsBright with all truth; and once, in a dark dellWithin the forest, unto me there cameA voice that must be hers, which called my name."
Words in this poem
- lone n.
- A lane. See Loanin.
- baffle v. i.
- To cause to undergo a disgraceful punishment, as a recreant knight. [Cf. Lowland Scotch bauchle to treat contemptuously, bauch tasteless, abashed, jaded, Icel. bagr uneasy, poor, or bagr, n., struggle, bægja to push, treat harshl]
- wondrous adv.
- In a wonderful or surprising manner or degree; wonderfully. [OE. wonders, adv. (later also adj.). See Wonder, n., and cf. -wards.]
- thrilling a.
- Causing a thrill; causing tremulous excitement; deeply moving; as, a thrilling romance.
- somewhere adv.
- In some place unknown or not specified; in one place or another.
- clung a.
- Wasted away; shrunken. [Prop. p. p. fr. OE. clingen to wither. See Cling, v. i.]
- shall v. i.
- To owe; to be under obligation for. [OE. shal, schal, imp. sholde, scholde, AS. scal, sceal, I am obliged, imp. scolde, sceolde, inf. sculan; akin to OS. skulan, pres. skal, imp. skolda, D. zullen,]
- nightly a.
- Of or pertaining to the night, or to every night; happening or done by night, or every night; as, nightly shades; he kept nightly vigils.
- supernal a.
- Being in a higher place or region; locally higher; as, the supernal orbs; supernal regions. [L. supernus, from super above: cf. F. supernel. See Super-.]
- dell n.
- A small, retired valley; a ravine. [AS. del, akin to E. dale; cf. D. delle, del, low ground. See Dale.]
Definitions and etymologies from Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913.
About this text
Part I, Section XVI is in the public domain. This text is taken from Poems of Henry Timrod; with Memoir, Project Gutenberg ebook #845; the transcription's header, footer and licence were removed and nothing else was changed. You may copy, print and reuse it freely.
Cite as: Henry Timrod, Part I, Section XVI, in Poems (1860–1867), text of Project Gutenberg ebook #845, Laurel, https://laurelpoetry.com/poem/timrod-poems/part-i-section-xvi.html, id L18633.
Form and metre
Part I, Section XVI is 24 lines in 4 stanzas of 6 lines each. The rhyme scheme is ABABCC, complete in 2 of its 4 stanzas. The metre is iambic pentameter, measured from the stress the words themselves fix (confidence 89%). 95% of its stressed syllables fall where the metre puts the beat. The lines average 10.1 syllables. 4 lines end on an unstressed syllable, a feminine ending. 46% of the lines run on without a stop at the line end.
See other poems in iambic pentameter.
Measured by Laurel's pipeline, not copied from a handbook: how stress and metre are counted, how rhyme is lettered, how a drifted rhyme is found. Where the dictionary cannot confirm a rhyme the letter is withheld, not guessed.
Rhyme words, stanza by stanza
The word that ends each line, lettered by the rhyme it makes; a dash is a line whose rhyme the dictionary could not confirm.
- 1 ABAB-- loneA · flowersB · unknownA · powersB · key · mystery
- 2 ABABCC knowA · dyesB · belowA · eyesB · doubtC · outC
- 3 ABABBB earthA · tongueB · birthA · clungB · blossomingB · springB
- 4 ABABCC dreamsA · foretellB · seemsA · dellB · cameC · nameC
Scansion, line by line
Each line with its syllable count and the stresses the words themselves fix: / stressed, ˘ unstressed, · a syllable the word leaves free and the metre decides. Read against iambic pentameter. How this is done.
| Line | Syl. | Stress |
|---|---|---|
| "By stream and spring, in glades and woodlands lone, | 10 | ·······/·· |
| Beside our very cot I've gathered flowers | 11 | ˘///˘··/˘/˘ |
| Inscribed with signs and characters unknown; | 10 | ˘/···/˘˘˘/ |
| But the frail scrolls still baffle all my powers: | 11 | ·····/˘··/˘ |
| What is this language and where is the key | 10 | ···/˘····· |
| That opes its weird and wondrous mystery? | 10 | ·····/˘/˘˘ |
| "The forests know it, and the mountains know, | 10 | ·/˘····/˘· |
| And it is written in the sunset's dyes; | 10 | ···/˘··/·· |
| A revelation to the world below | 10 | ··˘/˘····· |
| Is daily going on before our eyes; | 10 | ·/˘/···/˘· |
| And, but for sinful thoughts, I do not doubt | 10 | ···/˘····· |
| That we could spell the thrilling secret out. | 10 | ·····/˘/˘· |
| "O mother! somewhere on this lovely earth | 10 | ·/˘/···/˘· |
| I lived, and understood that mystic tongue, | 10 | ····˘/·/˘· |
| But, for some reason, to my second birth | 10 | ···/˘··/˘· |
| Only the dullest memories have clung, | 10 | /˘·/˘/˘˘·· |
| Like that fair tree that even while blossoming | 11 | ·····/˘·/˘˘ |
| Keeps the dead berries of a former spring. | 10 | ···/˘··/˘· |
| "Who shall put life in these?--my nightly dreams | 10 | ·······/˘· |
| Some teacher of supernal powers foretell; | 10 | ·/˘·˘/˘/˘/ |
| A fair and stately shape appears, which seems | 10 | ···/˘·˘/·· |
| Bright with all truth; and once, in a dark dell | 10 | ·········· |
| Within the forest, unto me there came | 10 | ···/˘····· |
| A voice that must be hers, which called my name." | 10 | ·········· |
The reader shows the same poem with its rhymes coloured and a stress row above each line, the notes beside their stanzas, and any word's definition on a tap; the analysis page takes the whole book apart. How every part of this site was made.