I admire the control of energy in this poem. As you say "The poem’s metrical movements, roving among trimeter, tetrameter, and pentameter, contribute to the sense of one looking around, shifting his gaze from one sight to another." More particularly, in the first stanza there is a build up of energy, with the number of beats per line steadily increasing as the speaker grows more excited, until the short two beat exclamation to end the first stanza. Then the second stanza mainly keeps with five beats, but there a lot of caesura and adjacent stresses (may follows, first fine care), which I believe corresponds to the energetic sense of "looking around" in glee. Then the last couple of lines lessen the caesura and spondees for calmer, more definitive conclusion.
Apart from a few pieces (Soliloquy in a Spanish Cloister; How They Brought the Good News from Ghent to Aix), I, too, find Browning hard to read aloud, and better read silently - the opposite of Tennyson
I've always liked the detail of "the wise thrush" who "sings each song twice over" -- a piece of precise ornithological observation, for the doubling of song is how we in the UK can tell the difference between the Song Thrush and the Mistle Thrush. From the RSPB website: "it is quite easy to recognise the song of this bird, as it repeats its song phrases. The Song Thrush is the smaller of the two birds and it is a warm brown colour. Its speckles, which are smaller and fewer, are like arrowheads on a buff background and become more elongated and rounded on the belly and flanks. The Mistle Thrush is a grey colour, has heavier speckling on a white background and its stance is more upright." I wonder if Browning, with his warm brown name, is gesturing to himself in this reference: the second stanza in a two-stanza poem replicating the "song" of the first, with variations.
I like the imagery of this poem, but I do find it hard to read aloud. I'm afraid I have to say that I enjoyed your commentary more than the poem itself . . . :) But it's always good to visit Browning, one of my favorite of the Victorians.
That's interesting, Beth. I found it absolutely enchanting to read aloud! Were there particular lines that tripped you? In the first stanza especially I can see it might be difficult to tease out the rhythmic shifts: the intended stress placements are far from obvious at first glance.
Possibly if I spent more time at it, I could work it out better. It's definitely where to place the stresses that catches me -- and I was much too tired this morning to give it more than a try or two! Maybe I'll try it again later in the day. :)
The poem seems almost a eulogy to a long gone life lived there. Almost a love song to the past.
I admire the control of energy in this poem. As you say "The poem’s metrical movements, roving among trimeter, tetrameter, and pentameter, contribute to the sense of one looking around, shifting his gaze from one sight to another." More particularly, in the first stanza there is a build up of energy, with the number of beats per line steadily increasing as the speaker grows more excited, until the short two beat exclamation to end the first stanza. Then the second stanza mainly keeps with five beats, but there a lot of caesura and adjacent stresses (may follows, first fine care), which I believe corresponds to the energetic sense of "looking around" in glee. Then the last couple of lines lessen the caesura and spondees for calmer, more definitive conclusion.
I kept wanting to write "spondee" generally meaning success beats, but I am scared Keir will correct me. :)
Lol!
Apart from a few pieces (Soliloquy in a Spanish Cloister; How They Brought the Good News from Ghent to Aix), I, too, find Browning hard to read aloud, and better read silently - the opposite of Tennyson
I've always liked the detail of "the wise thrush" who "sings each song twice over" -- a piece of precise ornithological observation, for the doubling of song is how we in the UK can tell the difference between the Song Thrush and the Mistle Thrush. From the RSPB website: "it is quite easy to recognise the song of this bird, as it repeats its song phrases. The Song Thrush is the smaller of the two birds and it is a warm brown colour. Its speckles, which are smaller and fewer, are like arrowheads on a buff background and become more elongated and rounded on the belly and flanks. The Mistle Thrush is a grey colour, has heavier speckling on a white background and its stance is more upright." I wonder if Browning, with his warm brown name, is gesturing to himself in this reference: the second stanza in a two-stanza poem replicating the "song" of the first, with variations.
Oh, that's a great detail, re the thrush species --- I would not have caught it.
I love finding out these details which I would never have guessed at!
I like the imagery of this poem, but I do find it hard to read aloud. I'm afraid I have to say that I enjoyed your commentary more than the poem itself . . . :) But it's always good to visit Browning, one of my favorite of the Victorians.
That's interesting, Beth. I found it absolutely enchanting to read aloud! Were there particular lines that tripped you? In the first stanza especially I can see it might be difficult to tease out the rhythmic shifts: the intended stress placements are far from obvious at first glance.
Possibly if I spent more time at it, I could work it out better. It's definitely where to place the stresses that catches me -- and I was much too tired this morning to give it more than a try or two! Maybe I'll try it again later in the day. :)
This is a good reading! https://youtu.be/WCV9r35BnBg
Thanks! I'll check it out!