Analysis of The Garden

Katharine Tynan 1861 (Ireland) – 1931



I know a garden like a child,
Clean and new-washed and reconciled.
It grows its own sweet way, yet still
Has guidance of some tender will
That clips, confines, its wilder mood
And makes it happy, being good.

Around the lordly mountains stand,
For this is an enchanted land,
As though their splendours stood to grace
This little lovely garden place,
Looking with wise and keeping eyes
Upon the garden sanctities.

Box borders edge each little bed,
Paths narrow for a child to tread
Divide the kitchen garden, dear
And sweet with musk and lavender,
And water-mints and beans in bloom.
Be sure the honeybee's at home.

How should I tell in a sweet list
Of beauties, rose and amethyst;
The little water-garden cool
On sultry days, and beautiful
The wall-garden, the shade, the sun,
Since they are lovely, every one.

Hot honey of the pines is sweet,
And when the day's at three o'clock heat
A winding walk will you invite
To a new garden out of sight.
And a green seat is set so near
The sluggish, stealing backwater.

The Spirit of the garden plays
At hide-and-seek an hundred ways
And when you've captured her, she will
Elude you, calling backward still,
A silver echo -- a sweet child,
Demure and lovesome, gay and wild.


Scheme AABBXX CCDDXD EEFGXX HHXXII JJKKFG LLBBAA
Poetic Form
Metre 11010101 1011010 11111111 11011101 1111101 01110101 0101101 11110101 1111111 11010101 10110101 010101 11011101 11010111 01010101 01110100 01010101 110111 11110011 11010100 01010101 11010100 01100101 111101001 11010111 010111011 01011101 10110111 00111111 0101010 01010101 11011101 01110011 01110101 01010011 0101101
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 1,188
Words 219
Sentences 10
Stanzas 6
Stanza Lengths 6, 6, 6, 6, 6, 6
Lines Amount 36
Letters per line (avg) 26
Words per line (avg) 6
Letters per stanza (avg) 159
Words per stanza (avg) 36
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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on April 14, 2023

1:06 min read
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Katharine Tynan

Katharine Tynan was an Irish-born writer, known mainly for her novels and poetry. more…

All Katharine Tynan poems | Katharine Tynan Books

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