Analysis of Thoughts in a Garden
Andrew Marvell 1621 (Winestead) – 1678 (London)
HOW vainly men themselves amaze
To win the palm, the oak, or bays,
And their uncessant labours see
Crown'd from some single herb or tree,
Whose short and narrow-verged shade
Does prudently their toils upbraid;
While all the flowers and trees do close
To weave the garlands of repose!
Fair Quiet, have I found thee here,
And Innocence thy sister dear?
Mistaken long, I sought you then
In busy companies of men:
Your sacred plants, if here below,
Only among the plants will grow:
Society is all but rude
To this delicious solitude.
No white nor red was ever seen
So amorous as this lovely green.
Fond lovers, cruel as their flame,
Cut in these trees their mistress' name:
Little, alas! they know or heed
How far these beauties hers exceed!
Fair trees! wheres'e'er your barks I wound,
No name shall but your own be found.
When we have run our passions' heat,
Love hither makes his best retreat:
The gods, that mortal beauty chase,
Still in a tree did end their race;
Apollo hunted Daphne so
Only that she might laurel grow;
And Pan did after Syrinx speed
Not as a nymph, but for a reed.
What wondrous life in this I lead!
Ripe apples drop about my head;
The luscious clusters of the vine
Upon my mouth do crush their wine;
The nectarine and curious peach
Into my hands themselves do reach;
Stumbling on melons, as I pass,
Ensnared with flowers, I fall on grass.
Meanwhile the mind from pleasure less
Withdraws into its happiness;
The mind, that ocean where each kind
Does straight its own resemblance find;
Yet it creates, transcending these,
Far other worlds, and other seas;
Annihilating all that 's made
To a green thought in a green shade.
Here at the fountain's sliding foot,
Or at some fruit-tree's mossy root,
Casting the body's vest aside,
My soul into the boughs does glide;
There, like a bird, it sits and sings,
Then whets and combs its silver wings,
And, till prepared for longer flight,
Waves in its plumes the various light.
Such was that happy Garden-state
While man there walk'd without a mate:
After a place so pure and sweet,
What other help could yet be meet!
But 'twas beyond a mortal's share
To wander solitary there:
Two paradises 'twere in one,
To live in Paradise alone.
How well the skilful gard'ner drew
Of flowers and herbs this dial new!
Where, from above, the milder sun
Does through a fragrant zodiac run:
And, as it works, th' industrious bee
Computes its time as well as we.
How could such sweet and wholesome hours
Be reckon'd, but with herbs and flowers!
Scheme | AABBCCXX XXDDEEFF GGHHIIJJ KKLLEEII MMNNOOPP XXQQRRCC XXSSTTUU VVKKWWXX YYXXBBZZ |
---|---|
Poetic Form | |
Metre | 11010101 11010111 01111 11110111 1101011 1100111 110100111 1101101 11011111 01001101 01011111 01010011 11011101 10010111 01001111 1101010 11111101 110011101 11010111 10111101 10011111 11110001 1111111 11111111 111110101 11011101 01110101 10011111 01010101 10111101 0111011 11011101 11010111 11010111 01010101 01111111 0101001 01110111 100110111 011101111 1011101 01011100 01110111 11110101 11010101 11010101 01001111 10110011 1101101 1111111 10010101 11010111 11011101 11011101 01011101 101101001 11110101 11110101 10011101 11011111 1101011 1101001 11101 1101001 110111 110011101 11010101 11010101 01111101001 01111111 111101010 110111010 |
Closest metre | Iambic tetrameter |
Characters | 2,493 |
Words | 447 |
Sentences | 19 |
Stanzas | 9 |
Stanza Lengths | 8, 8, 8, 8, 8, 8, 8, 8, 8 |
Lines Amount | 72 |
Letters per line (avg) | 27 |
Words per line (avg) | 6 |
Letters per stanza (avg) | 216 |
Words per stanza (avg) | 49 |
Font size:
Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on April 14, 2023
- 2:17 min read
- 192 Views
Citation
Use the citation below to add this poem analysis to your bibliography:
Style:MLAChicagoAPA
"Thoughts in a Garden" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 4 May 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/2902/thoughts-in-a-garden>.
Discuss this Andrew Marvell poem analysis with the community:
Report Comment
We're doing our best to make sure our content is useful, accurate and safe.
If by any chance you spot an inappropriate comment while navigating through our website please use this form to let us know, and we'll take care of it shortly.
Attachment
You need to be logged in to favorite.
Log In