The Woodspurge
The wind flapped loose, the wind was still,
Shaken out dead form tree and hill:
I had walked on at the wind's will -
I sat now, for the wind was still.
Between my knees my forehead was, -
My lips, drawn in, said not Alas!
My hair was over in the grass,
My naked ears heard the day pass.
My eyes, wide open, had the run
Of some ten weeds to fix upon;
Among those few, out of the sun,
The woodspurge flowered, three cups in one.
From perfect grief there need not be
Wisdom or even memory:
One thing then learnt remains to me, -
The woodspurge has a cup of three.
Shaken out dead form tree and hill:
I had walked on at the wind's will -
I sat now, for the wind was still.
Between my knees my forehead was, -
My lips, drawn in, said not Alas!
My hair was over in the grass,
My naked ears heard the day pass.
My eyes, wide open, had the run
Of some ten weeds to fix upon;
Among those few, out of the sun,
The woodspurge flowered, three cups in one.
From perfect grief there need not be
Wisdom or even memory:
One thing then learnt remains to me, -
The woodspurge has a cup of three.
Summary
The poem describes a miserable speaker in an unspecified geographical setting using a variety of poetic techniques. The speaker shows his feelings in first person in order to give the reader a deeper sense of imagery. The poem includes four quatrains in iambic pentameter and a monotone rhyme scheme. The speaker experiences a range of emotions as he walks in an outdoor setting, and has an intense change of perception as he sits down and sees a woodspurge flower.
The poem describes a miserable speaker in an unspecified geographical setting using a variety of poetic techniques. The speaker shows his feelings in first person in order to give the reader a deeper sense of imagery. The poem includes four quatrains in iambic pentameter and a monotone rhyme scheme. The speaker experiences a range of emotions as he walks in an outdoor setting, and has an intense change of perception as he sits down and sees a woodspurge flower.
First stanza
In the first stanza, the poet sets the scene and shows the reader how the speaker of the poem feels. Imagery is utilized in the first line "The wind flapped loose, the wind was still". In this case, the wind is a metaphor for the unnamed speaker's life, shown from the quotation "I had walked on at the wind's will". This not only shows that the speaker is distraught and confused, but he is not making any of his own decisions, he is just carrying on at the “wind's will”. At the end of the stanza, after walking for sometime, he sits down as the wind dies down. The first stanza also introduces the only direct sense that the speaker feels throughout the poem: depression. The quotation "Shaken out dead from tree and hill" shows this because the word 'dead' is a very strong, and has a negative feeling and the fact that the wind, metaphorically describes the speaker's life, has been 'shaken out', it shows how lonely and excluded the speaker is.
In the first stanza, the poet sets the scene and shows the reader how the speaker of the poem feels. Imagery is utilized in the first line "The wind flapped loose, the wind was still". In this case, the wind is a metaphor for the unnamed speaker's life, shown from the quotation "I had walked on at the wind's will". This not only shows that the speaker is distraught and confused, but he is not making any of his own decisions, he is just carrying on at the “wind's will”. At the end of the stanza, after walking for sometime, he sits down as the wind dies down. The first stanza also introduces the only direct sense that the speaker feels throughout the poem: depression. The quotation "Shaken out dead from tree and hill" shows this because the word 'dead' is a very strong, and has a negative feeling and the fact that the wind, metaphorically describes the speaker's life, has been 'shaken out', it shows how lonely and excluded the speaker is.
Second stanza
The second stanza continues with similar emotions to the first one, however a sense of vulnerability is added to the speaker's insecurity. The speaker is also starting to feel very depressed. Although there are no words that directly convey this, his body language and posture suggest that this is the case. Rossetti shows the reader this using the quotation "Between my knees my forehead was,". The narrator of the poem is sitting on the grass with his head between his knees. His is so depressed that he cannot even speak; this is shown by the line "My lips, drawn in, said not Alas!". He then remains motionless for an unspecified period of time, but long enough for him to "hear the day pass". As his "naked ears" heard the day pass, the word choice "naked" adds a sense of vulnerability to his already paralyzed state.
The second stanza continues with similar emotions to the first one, however a sense of vulnerability is added to the speaker's insecurity. The speaker is also starting to feel very depressed. Although there are no words that directly convey this, his body language and posture suggest that this is the case. Rossetti shows the reader this using the quotation "Between my knees my forehead was,". The narrator of the poem is sitting on the grass with his head between his knees. His is so depressed that he cannot even speak; this is shown by the line "My lips, drawn in, said not Alas!". He then remains motionless for an unspecified period of time, but long enough for him to "hear the day pass". As his "naked ears" heard the day pass, the word choice "naked" adds a sense of vulnerability to his already paralyzed state.
Third stanza
The third stanza contrasts the first and second because in the third stanza, there is a sense of hope and light, which differs from the speaker's dark sense of depression in the opening two stanzas. After the paralysis of the second stanza, the speaker finally opens his eyes in the line "My eyes, wide open, had the run". This shows that the speaker has exited his previous state and is now refreshed and alert. His eyes fixed upon ten weeds, and one of them, a woodspurge flower, catches is complete attention, with its "three cups in one". Because he noticed the detail of the "three cups in one", it shows that he is indeed no longer experiencing his previous feelings of dismissal.
The third stanza contrasts the first and second because in the third stanza, there is a sense of hope and light, which differs from the speaker's dark sense of depression in the opening two stanzas. After the paralysis of the second stanza, the speaker finally opens his eyes in the line "My eyes, wide open, had the run". This shows that the speaker has exited his previous state and is now refreshed and alert. His eyes fixed upon ten weeds, and one of them, a woodspurge flower, catches is complete attention, with its "three cups in one". Because he noticed the detail of the "three cups in one", it shows that he is indeed no longer experiencing his previous feelings of dismissal.
Fourth stanza
Even though the speaker has seemingly recovered after sighting the woodspurge, there is still no elaboration as to what caused his earlier oxymoronic "perfect grief". He then comments on how his grief is not even worth remembering, and he doesn't need to learn anything or take anything out of it. Only one thing remains to him and is permanently burned into his memory - "the woodspurge has a cup of three".
Even though the speaker has seemingly recovered after sighting the woodspurge, there is still no elaboration as to what caused his earlier oxymoronic "perfect grief". He then comments on how his grief is not even worth remembering, and he doesn't need to learn anything or take anything out of it. Only one thing remains to him and is permanently burned into his memory - "the woodspurge has a cup of three".