In the Orchard

James Stephens 1882 (Dublin) – 1950



There was a giant by the Orchard Wall
  Peeping about on this side and on that,
And feeling in the trees: he was as tall
  As the big apple tree, and twice as fat:
His beard was long, and bristly-black, and there
  Were leaves and bits of grass stuck in his hair.

He held a great big club in his right hand,
  And with the other felt in every tree
For something that he wanted. You could stand
  Beside him and not reach up to his knee
So mighty big he was—I feared he would
  Turn round, and trample down to where I stood.

I tried to get away, but, as I slid
  Under a bush, he saw me, and he bent
Far down and said, 'Where is the Princess hid?'
  I pointed to a place, and off he went—
But while he searched I turned and simply flew
  Round by the lilac bushes back to you.

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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 14, 2023

47 sec read
91

Quick analysis:

Scheme ABABCC DEDEFF GHGHII
Closest metre Iambic pentameter
Characters 770
Words 160
Stanzas 3
Stanza Lengths 6, 6, 6

James Stephens

James Stephens was an Irish Republican and the founding member of an originally unnamed revolutionary organisation in Dublin on 17 March 1858, later to become known as the Irish Republican Brotherhood, also referred to as the Irish Revolutionary Brotherhood by contemporaries. more…

All James Stephens poems | James Stephens Books

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