Daffodils
The long
cold days and nights have taken leave;
See those
sequin drips of spring on the ground;
The gentle
rain upon those buds supply;
They open
their eyes; see birds perched on boughs;
Narcissi at my feet blow their trumpets;
So dependable and easy to grow;
They rebuild themselves for the next year spring;
By asexual and sexual means;
By asexual and sexual means;
Beneath
those trees lies a carpet of green;
A cushion
and a seat nature brings,
For the
graceful drift of daffodils’ hues;
The
scenery all around is complete.
These
springtime guests do stand nobly in line,
With
cheery nodding heads fully aglow,
Filling
gardens, vases and those grassy banks,
With
yellow, orange and white point to sky.
They
herald in the joys that springtime brings;
Their
trumpets too signal summertime thrills;
Blooms of
daffodils caught my attention;
They
flaunt their beauty in blazing sunlight.
As we celebrate our place in nature;
Daffodils show God's love for all mankind;
And as a symbol of human condition,
Teaching how to be happy and share love.
(April 2006, Cleveland, Ohio, USA)
My first experience of spring in the Southern Hemisphere was September of 2004 in North Island, New Zealand. Of course, in the Northern Hemisphere I experienced all four seasons of the year in England, Canada and USA in my youthful days where I buried my head in my studies at College and University. I didn't pay too much attention to plants and gardens as I do now that I'm an Erdiston College Tutor Emeritus. It was awesome to experience sub-tropical climate having been used to tropical climate in my native Barbados. The first flower that drew my deep attention and admiration one early spring day in Orewa, New Zealand of 2004 was the golden daffodil. I have never seen this flower before only its picture that accompanied the poem "Daffodils" by William Wordsworth taught to me as a pupil in Elementary School in Barbados before the island gained independence from the Union Jack. This trumpet shaped flower has profound beauty and comes in multiple colors, but I adore the golden ones. I was told by a Kiwi that the daffodil is a perennial flower that blooms from bulbs during the spring and that they are the first sign of spring. Though describing this flower as being a narcissus, the point was made that it symbolizes spring, rebirth, new beginnings and friendship. In describing the daffodil it was clear to see nature as a reflection of God.
During my first spring in Ohio, USA in 2006 the daffodils were every where the eyes could see, so I said to myself why not take pictures of those in my sister's garden with the camera I purchased two years ago from Dick Smith Electronics in the mall at Orewa. So here am I sharing that picture with you here on this blog. Then, as a back-drop I penned this poem that celebrates the daffodils and mused about my connection with natural world using perception and experience. This I did drawing from the skills of a nature poet whose functions are to document the outdoors and interprets what is sensed and experienced. My poem I present to you, though not written in the style of Williams Wordsworth poem "The Daffodils" I gladly share with you. It is written in Blank Verse also known as Blank Form. It uses a regular metrical pattern in iambic pentameter verses with end-stops but no end rhymes. Blank verse and Free verse are often misunderstood or confused. A good way to remember the difference is to think of the word blank as meaning that at the ends of verses where rhymes would normally appear are "blank", that is, devoid of rhyme; the "free" in Free Verse refers to the freedom from fixed patterns of traditional versification.
Punctuation marks work differently in poetry than in other forms of writing. In poetry, punctuation marks are used not so much for grammatical correctness but rather for effect. The poet selects the type of end-spot that corresponds to the length of pause desired. When a long pause is desired the full-stop is used. When a short pause is desired the comma is used and the semicolon is used for a pause that is longer than comma but not as long as a full-stop. In poetic craft, the full-stop, question mark, and the exclamation mark are placed under the category long pauses, whereas, the comma, semicolon, the ellipsis and the dash are placed under the category of short pauses. The poet is mindful that a punctuation mark, or the lack thereof, can change meaning and add depth to the poem; so that is why the choice of ending is considered with the uttermost care.
The most common forms of end-stops in poetry are the comma, semicolon, question mark, exclamation mark, the dash and the ellipsis. These end-stops are clear pointers of the poet’s involvement in the “stage management” of the poem as it were. The poet tells readers of the poem where to pause and when not to pause. End-stops in a poem slow down the pace in the reading of the poem, whereas the enjambment accelerates the pace. The end-stop is the opposite of enjambment which will influence the reader to move along to the next verse without pausing.
As we celebrate our place in nature;
Daffodils show God's love for all mankind;
And as a symbol of human condition,
Teaching how to be happy and share love.
(April 2006, Cleveland, Ohio, USA)
My first experience of spring in the Southern Hemisphere was September of 2004 in North Island, New Zealand. Of course, in the Northern Hemisphere I experienced all four seasons of the year in England, Canada and USA in my youthful days where I buried my head in my studies at College and University. I didn't pay too much attention to plants and gardens as I do now that I'm an Erdiston College Tutor Emeritus. It was awesome to experience sub-tropical climate having been used to tropical climate in my native Barbados. The first flower that drew my deep attention and admiration one early spring day in Orewa, New Zealand of 2004 was the golden daffodil. I have never seen this flower before only its picture that accompanied the poem "Daffodils" by William Wordsworth taught to me as a pupil in Elementary School in Barbados before the island gained independence from the Union Jack. This trumpet shaped flower has profound beauty and comes in multiple colors, but I adore the golden ones. I was told by a Kiwi that the daffodil is a perennial flower that blooms from bulbs during the spring and that they are the first sign of spring. Though describing this flower as being a narcissus, the point was made that it symbolizes spring, rebirth, new beginnings and friendship. In describing the daffodil it was clear to see nature as a reflection of God.
During my first spring in Ohio, USA in 2006 the daffodils were every where the eyes could see, so I said to myself why not take pictures of those in my sister's garden with the camera I purchased two years ago from Dick Smith Electronics in the mall at Orewa. So here am I sharing that picture with you here on this blog. Then, as a back-drop I penned this poem that celebrates the daffodils and mused about my connection with natural world using perception and experience. This I did drawing from the skills of a nature poet whose functions are to document the outdoors and interprets what is sensed and experienced. My poem I present to you, though not written in the style of Williams Wordsworth poem "The Daffodils" I gladly share with you. It is written in Blank Verse also known as Blank Form. It uses a regular metrical pattern in iambic pentameter verses with end-stops but no end rhymes. Blank verse and Free verse are often misunderstood or confused. A good way to remember the difference is to think of the word blank as meaning that at the ends of verses where rhymes would normally appear are "blank", that is, devoid of rhyme; the "free" in Free Verse refers to the freedom from fixed patterns of traditional versification.
Punctuation marks work differently in poetry than in other forms of writing. In poetry, punctuation marks are used not so much for grammatical correctness but rather for effect. The poet selects the type of end-spot that corresponds to the length of pause desired. When a long pause is desired the full-stop is used. When a short pause is desired the comma is used and the semicolon is used for a pause that is longer than comma but not as long as a full-stop. In poetic craft, the full-stop, question mark, and the exclamation mark are placed under the category long pauses, whereas, the comma, semicolon, the ellipsis and the dash are placed under the category of short pauses. The poet is mindful that a punctuation mark, or the lack thereof, can change meaning and add depth to the poem; so that is why the choice of ending is considered with the uttermost care.
The most common forms of end-stops in poetry are the comma, semicolon, question mark, exclamation mark, the dash and the ellipsis. These end-stops are clear pointers of the poet’s involvement in the “stage management” of the poem as it were. The poet tells readers of the poem where to pause and when not to pause. End-stops in a poem slow down the pace in the reading of the poem, whereas the enjambment accelerates the pace. The end-stop is the opposite of enjambment which will influence the reader to move along to the next verse without pausing.
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