Analysis of Lament of the Maple Tree
James McIntyre 1828 (Forres) – 1906
I laid me down one day in June;
It was late-long after noon-
A very sultry summer's eve,
Such times the senses oft deceive.
The place was 'neath a maple tree,
Soon from all cares and troubles free,
By a gentle, kindly slumber,
No more our sorrows we could number.
But we heard a plaintive wail,
Such as we find in fairy tale ;
It was the genius of the tree,
Who, in sad guise, appeared to me.
And then she sadly did give vent
Unto this awful, grave lament,
'Though I am gay in month of June,
All decked in green ; yet very soon,
Alas ! my beauty will be faded,
And my charms be all degraded,
For is my time of glory brief ;
So often flattered is my leaf.
In Canada, so broad and free,
All poets sing of the maple tree.
High I stand, in their opinion,
Emblem of the New Dominion.
The reason I do them upbraid,
Some never slept beneath my shade ;
And yet they take the liberty
To chant about the maple tree.
They dare to poetize my leaf -
is the source of all my grief.
I think their praises all so rude,
And as but base in gratitude ;
So often hackneyed is my name,
That every fall I burn with shame-
Like maiden's cheek which blushes red
When vain rash youth asks her to wed.
Then do these foolish ones descry
In me fresh beauty, and they sigh,
And then renew their songs of praise-
But unto me now sad their lays ;
For then I know my days are brief,
'Tis hectic flush upon my leaf.
True poets, then, should mournful sing,
When the destroyer's on the wing ;
For then I know my leaves of gold
Will all soon mingle with the mould.
No one does ever think to praise
The fell destroyer when he slays ;
No one rejoice in the flushed cheek,
When the poor girl is low and weak.
Perhaps they'll say, and it is true,
In Spring my glory I'll renew ;
But' tis poor comfort after all
To lose my offspring every Fall.
Small consolation to mother
To tell her that soon another
Will replace her fond darling boy,
Who has been source of all her joy.
But you know all about my wood,
You know that it is strong and good ;
And I have full many a curl,
And pleasing eye and charming nurl.
Some love me as fond nature grain'd
And some prefer my beauties stain'd ;
But my dear friend I hope that you
My varied shades like pure and true,
For of the woods you know the staple,
Stoutest and best, is good maple.
The youth my sugar eat with glee
And old maids love me in their tea.
In me do various uses meet-
In summer shade, in winter heat,
For I do make a glorious blaze,
All worthy of the poet's lays ;
But to their praises I'll be deaf
If more they harp about my leaf-
They call me gay when I am sober,
To me 'tis gloomy month, October.
But saints on earth, when they die
Hope for true bliss beyond the sky,
So winter does bring no alarms
Though it strip bare my trunk and arms,
For now I know that time will bring
More glorious foliage in the spring.
Then, all nature will rejoice,
Triumphing with glorious voice,
And birds will, in my branches, sing
Hosannas to the lovely spring.
[The nurls and bird's eyes and curls were highly prized
in furniture thirty years ago, when we used the smooth plain.
Scheme | AABBCCDDEECCFFAAGGHHCCIIJJCCHHKKLLM MCNOOHHPPQQOORRSSTTDDUUVVXEWWSSXXCCYYOOXH DDNNZZPP1 1 PP XX |
---|---|
Poetic Form | Etheree (26%) |
Metre | 11111101 1111101 01010101 11010101 01110101 11110101 10101010 1110101110 1110101 11110101 11010101 10110111 01110111 10110101 11110111 11011101 011101110 01111010 11111101 11010111 01001101 110110101 11101010 10101010 0101111 11010111 01110100 11010101 111111 1011111 11110111 0111010 11010111 110011111 1111101 11111011 1111011 01110011 01011111 11011111 11111111 11010111 11011101 101101 11111111 11110101 11110111 01010111 11010011 10111101 01110111 01110101 11110101 11111001 1010110 11011010 1101101 11111101 11110111 11111101 01111001 01010101 11111101 01011101 11111111 11011101 110111010 1011110 01110111 01111011 011100101 01010101 111101001 11010101 11110111 11110111 111111110 111101010 1111111 11110101 11011101 11111101 11111111 110010001 1110101 111001 01101101 110101 01011010101 010010101111011 |
Closest metre | Iambic tetrameter |
Characters | 3,011 |
Words | 600 |
Sentences | 23 |
Stanzas | 4 |
Stanza Lengths | 35, 41, 12, 2 |
Lines Amount | 90 |
Letters per line (avg) | 26 |
Words per line (avg) | 7 |
Letters per stanza (avg) | 590 |
Words per stanza (avg) | 153 |
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on March 05, 2023
- 3:03 min read
- 46 Views
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"Lament of the Maple Tree" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 28 Apr. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/20336/lament-of-the-maple-tree>.
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