Amongst The Roses Poem by Henry Kendall

Amongst The Roses

Rating: 3.0


I walked through a Forest, beneath the hot noon,
On Etheline calling and calling!
One said: "She will hear you and come to you soon,
When the coolness, my brother, is falling."
But I whispered: "O Darling, I falter with pain! "
And the thirsty leaves rustled, and hissed for the rain,
Where a wayfarer halted and slept on the plain;
And dreamt of a garden of Roses!
Of a cool sweet place,
And a nestling face
In a dance and a dazzle of Roses.
In the drought of a Desert, outwearied, I wept,
O Etheline, darkened with dolours!
But, folded in sunset, how long have you slept
By the Roses all reeling with colours?
A tree from its tresses a blossom did shake,
It fell on her face, and I feared she would wake,
So I brushed it away for her sweet sake;
In that garden of beautiful Roses!
In the dreamy perfumes
From ripe-red blooms
In a dance and a dazzle of Roses.

Amongst The Roses
COMMENTS OF THE POEM
Susan Williams 11 November 2015

Something about this poem reminded me of Poe's Annabel Lee. Beautifully written

22 0 Reply
John S 11 November 2015

What reminded you of Annabel Lee is the iambic pattern, which is one unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable. This may be close to an iambic pentameter, which is 5 sets of unstressed and stressed syllables. Annabel Lee also follows an iambic pentameter pattern, which is why the poem appears to flow and roll off of the tongue like a song or a child's lullaby. Look up iambic pentameter and then read the poem aloud, and notice the wave-like pattern you hear, of crests and troughs, hills and valleys, in the tone of your voice.

5 1 Reply
John S 11 November 2015

Actually I just referred to my Poetry Handbook, Anabel Lee, and this poem likewise, are written in ANAPEST meter, which is two lightly stressed syllables followed by a heavily stressed syllable. I'll have to read this poem closely to see if it follows this pattern throughout. 'Of a cool sweet place, of a nestling face seems to break the pattern. Those seem to end in three heavy stresses. I'm an expert not, so correct me if I'm wrong. Knowing this just make reading it aloud all the more fun!

3 1 Reply
Seema Jayaraman 11 November 2015

How we love our roses, ripe red blooms of dreamy perfumes.. Lovely colorful poem..thanks for sharing.

3 1 Reply
Rahman Henry 11 November 2015

Excellently present, . What a lovely poem!

0 1 Reply
Chinedu Dike 30 March 2023

Beautifully written with vivid imagery

0 0 Reply
Bruk Renwick 29 March 2023

This is a talented poem and I like the words also

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Kumarmani Mahakul 29 March 2023

I like these sentences, beautifully inscribed

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Kumarmani Mahakul 29 March 2023

So I brushed it away for her sweet sake; In that garden of beautiful Roses! In the dreamy perfumes From ripe-red blooms In a dance and a dazzle of Roses.

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Dr Dillip K Swain 29 March 2023

But I whispered: 'O Darling, I falter with pain! ' And the thirsty leaves rustled, and hissed for the rain...I am absolutely delighted with the captivating poetic expression! A magnificent poem!

0 0 Reply
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Henry Kendall

Henry Kendall

Ulladulla, New South Wales
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