Analysis of Ode to a Taoist Wildflower
A Taoist Wildflower,
in a cultivated field,
standing bravely, ever firmly;
observing nature’s offerings,
unsullied by pretenses of human imagery.
A Taoist Wildflower,
standing upright, towering beauty,
with barest essentials;
enough to satisfy basic needs;
not desiring of creature comforts.
A Taoist Wildflower,
adorned without frills;
not needing to be harnessed,
not ever needing to be reigned in;
simply observant of life’s cultivation.
A Taoist Wildflower,
by nature’s own clockwork,
ever blooming, ever blossoming;
a blooming, blossoming wildflower,
by nature’s own celestial design.
A Taoist Wildflower,
parsimoniously adorned;
the wind and rain companions,
the soil a plenitude of offerings;
wallowing in the glory of such wealth.
A Taoist Wildflower,
not falsified by artifacts;
by artifacts of competition,
just free to be one’s natural self;
free to sway and dance in synchrony.
A Taoist Wildflower,
unsullied by pretensions
of our human imagination;
bending, swaying with the wind,
in harmony and balance with all there is.
Scheme | Axbcb Abxxx Axxde Axxax Axfcx Axexd Afexx |
---|---|
Poetic Form | |
Metre | 01010 001001 10101010 01010100 0101010110100 01010 100110010 110010 01110101 1010011010 01010 01011 1101110 110101110 1001011010 01010 11011 101010100 01010010 110101001 01010 101 0101010 01011100 1000010111 01010 110110 1101010 111111001 1110101 01010 0101010 110100010 1010101 01000101111 |
Closest metre | Iambic tetrameter |
Characters | 1,054 |
Words | 193 |
Sentences | 7 |
Stanzas | 7 |
Stanza Lengths | 5, 5, 5, 5, 5, 5, 5 |
Lines Amount | 35 |
Letters per line (avg) | 24 |
Words per line (avg) | 4 |
Letters per stanza (avg) | 120 |
Words per stanza (avg) | 22 |
About this poem
Here am I in attendance at a conference in Long Island, New York, at the New York State Association for Bilingual Education (NYSABE), reminiscing on my life and experiences as a bilingual educator, and exchanging greetings with colleagues, past and present; giving me opportunity to also sit, relax, meditate, and write poetry. And so it is I’ve come to share with you this poem and the story behind it. While recently reading and reacting to online commentaries on poetry.com, I came across one such commentary by a young artist bearing the interesting sobriquet of “Wildflower 888. ” In my curiosity and response to that catching poetic name used by the online commentator that came to my attention on March 11, 2023, I wrote the following message: “I like your Wildflower moniker, imagery of life and nature in its original form — like the Tao — not restraining of others, letting all bloom to their full potential.” This seven-stanza Cinquain, “Ode to a Taoist Wildflower,” is an elaboration of those initial sentiments, suggestive of the therapeutic benefits of the ‘opposites’ in nature working harmoniously together, unhindered by rivalries. more »
Written on March 18, 2023
Submitted by karlcfolkes on March 18, 2023
Modified by karlcfolkes on March 19, 2023
- 57 sec read
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"Ode to a Taoist Wildflower" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 4 Jun 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/154339/ode-to-a-taoist-wildflower>.
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