A Poplar And The Moon

There stood a Poplar, tall and straight;
The fair, round Moon, uprisen late,
Made the long shadow on the grass
A ghostly bridge ’twixt heaven and me.
But May, with slumbrous nights, must pass;
And blustering winds will strip the tree.
And I’ve no magic to express
The moment of that loveliness;
So from these words you’ll never guess
The stars and lilies I could see.

Analysis (ai): This poem is a brief, evocative depiction of a poplar tree silhouetted against the moonlit sky. The poplar's shadow becomes a bridge between heaven and earth, a symbol of the poet's desire to transcend the limitations of mortal existence. The poem's simple, yet powerful imagery, conveys a sense of awe and wonder.

Compared to Sassoon's other works, this poem is relatively short and lyrical, lacking the bitterness and irony that often characterized his war poetry. Instead, it expresses a sense of beauty and wonder, reflecting Sassoon's fascination with the natural world. The poem's use of imagery and symbolism is also reminiscent of the Romantic period, with its emphasis on the power of nature to inspire awe and contemplation. (hide)

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Nam - I don't care for the rhyming in most of Sassoon's pieces and this is no exception to that dislike. It's childlike to the point of non-consuming of thought. Perhaps it's supposed to be but I find that with a lot of his work.

I do like a lot of his work but most of his work I do not. This has a fairness about it, a serene outlook that becomes sort of an inlook to other things.

It's a lovely piece I just don't care too much for the rhyming.