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Jan 31, 2018 · Here are ten of the best river poems. Edmund Spenser, Prothalamion. There, in a meadow, by the river’s side, A flock of nymphs I chanced to espy, All lovely daughters of the flood thereby, With goodly greenish locks, all loose untied, As each had been a bride; And each one had a little wicker basket, Made of fine twigs, entrailed curiously,
A nostalgic and philosophical poem about the author's childhood memories of a river and his reflections on nature and life. Read the full text, analysis and context of this classic American poem.
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The poem begins with a description of a river flowing near the poet’s native place. As a child, Emerson had a close association with this river. It is not only the river, the whole landscape gave his childhood mind pleasure, immeasurable, and serene. In this poem, the poet reflects on those memories and he somehow feels sad for the loss of his chil...
Emerson’s ‘The River’ is a free verse poem that doesn’t contain any specific rhyme scheme. However, there are a few instances where the poet makes use of slant rhymes. As an example, in the ninth and tenth lines of the poem, “vales” somehow rhymes with “waves”. Though the poem doesn’t have a set rhyming scheme, it is not monotonous to read. The int...
There are several literary devices in this poem that make the poet’s meditation upon nature more appealing to the readers. Likewise, there is a metaphor for the river in the “blue wonder”. In “my infant eye” the poet uses synecdoche. The poet also metaphorically compares the river to a traveler. Apart from that, there are alliterations in the poem....
Lines 1–7
Emerson begins his poem, ‘The River’ in a manner that it seems the poet has been observing the river for a long time. He directly converses with the readers and welcomes them to behold the poet’s “old familiar haunts” regarding the river. Like a dramatic monologue, the first-person speaker of the poem talks with the readers as if they are his sole companion. Whatsoever, the poetic personapoints at the river imaginatively. It is the “same blue wonder” that his “infant eyes” admired. As a child...
Lines 8–15
The river doesn’t alter his course. According to Emerson, it is a symbol of eternity. It is there where it was before, “unaltered”. The poet asks readers to imagine the river. It has broken the banks and flooded the valley with his redundant waves. It is important to note here the use of the pronoun “he”. Here, the poet personifies the river and finds a father-like manifestation in it. Unlike mother-nature, the river symbolizesthe manly side of creation. The line, “He hath broke his banks and...
Lines 16–21
In this section of ‘The River’, Emerson tells readers to listen to the “sour conversation” of the “ancient crows” that hold their meeting in the sky. In “sour conversation”, there is a reference to the harsh cawing of the crows. The crows are ancient as they were ever there before the birth of the poet. Like the river, the crows are also timeless and eternal. As the poet says, “These are the same” but in his case, he is not. He is an adult now and lost the childish spirit and innocence. Howev...
Emerson wrote this poem, ‘The River’in his journals in Concord, Massachusetts, in June 1827. It is one of the best Emerson poems. The poem was first published in “The Complete Works” in 1904. In this poem, the poet recapitulates his childhood days in Massachusetts. He was born in Boston on May 25, 1803. In the early 1820s, he started teaching at th...
Like ‘The River’ by Emerson, the following poems revolve around the themes of nature, mortality, and eternity. 1. Sonnets from The River Duddon: After-Thoughtby William Wordsworth– In this poem, Wordsworth, one of the proponents of romanticism, uses natural imageryto speak on human mortality. 2. The River Godby Stevie Smith– In this poem, Smith com...
Learn about the poem 'The River' by Ralph Waldo Emerson, a transcendental writer who explores his childhood memories and nature's beauty. Read the poem, its summary, structure, literary devices, and historical context.
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The River is a poem that describes the river as a wanderer, a winder, a hoarder, a baby, a singer and a monster. It is a fun and playful poem that invites children to imagine the river in different ways and to listen to its song.
The River by Caroline Ann Bowles appears to be a rather simple poem describing the journey of a river as it flows. However, when one looks at it deeply, it appears that the poetess is secondarily comparing the stages of a river with the life phases of a human.
Explore 15 poems that celebrate, lament, or reflect on the beauty and power of rivers and streams. From Coleridge to Whitman, from Spenser to Hughes, discover how poets use river images to express their themes and emotions.
The River : River, river, little river! Bright you sparkle on your way; O’er the yellow pebbles dancing, Through the flowers and foliage glancing, Like a child at play. River, river! swelling river!
