Analysis of A Bridal In The Bois De Boulogne.

Mathilde Blind 1841 (Mannheim) – 1896 (London)



HOW the lilacs, the lilacs are glowing and blowing!
And white through the delicate verdure of May
The blossoming boughs of the hawthorn are showing,
Like beautiful brides in their bridal array;
With cobwebs for laces, and dewdrops for pearls,
Fine as a queen's dowry for workaday girls.

In an aisle of Acacias enlaced and enlacing,
Where the silvery sunlight tunnels the shade,
Where snowflakes of butterflies airily chasing
Each other in trios flash down the arcade:

Arrayed in white muslin the wedded bride
Looks fresh as a daisy, the groom by her side.

The guests flitted round her with light-hearted laughter;
They hunted the slipper, they kissed the ring;
Of days gone before and of days coming after
They thought of no more than the bird on the wing.
Were the loves and the laughter and lilacs of May,
With the sunshine above, not enough for the day?

And the lilacs, the lilacs are blowing and glowing!
They pluck them by handfuls and pile them in a mass;
And the sap of the Springtide is rising and flowing
Through the veins of the greenwood, the blades of the grass;
Up, up to the last leaf a dance on the tree,
It leaps like a fountain abundant and free.

The blackbirds are building their nests in the bushes,
And whistle at work, as the workpeople do;
The trees swing their censers, the wind comes in gushes
Of delicate scent mixed of honey and dew.
Now loud and now loud through the garrulous trees
A burst of gay music is blown with the breeze.

And the girls and the boys from the faubourgs of Paris,
The premature gamins as wise as fourscore;
The vain little Margots and the wide-awake Harrys,
Surprised into childhood, grew simple once more,
And vied with the cuckoo as, shouting at play,
They dashed through the thickets and darted away.

Ah, fair is the forest's green glimmering splendour,
The leaves of the lime tree a network of light;
And fringing long aisles of acacia, a tender
And delicate veiling of virginal white,
Where, framed in the gladdening flowers of May,
The bride and her bridesmaids beam gladder than they.

They have crowned her brown tresses with hawthorn in blossom,
They have made her a necklace of daisies for pearls;
They have set the white lily against her white bosom,
Enthroned on the grass mid a garland of girls;
With the earth for a footstool, the sky-roof above,
She is queen of the Springtide and Lady of Love.

Oh, the lilacs, the lilacs are glowing and blowing!
They pluck them by bushels as blithely they go
Through the green, scented dusk where the hawthorn is showing
A luminous whiteness of blossoming snow.
And the Sun ere he goes gives the Moon half his light,
As a lamp to lead Love on the bridal night.


Scheme ABABCC ADAD EE FAFABB AGAGHH XIXIJJ XFCXBB FKFKBB LCLCMM ANANKK
Poetic Form
Metre 10101110010 0110100111 01001101110 11001011001 111100111 1101101101 01111101 1010011001 11110110 1100111001 0101100101 11101001101 01110111010 1100101101 111010111010 11111101101 00100100111 10101101101 00101110010 11111011001 001101110010 10110101101 11101101101 11101001001 010110110010 010111011 01111011010 11001111001 11011101001 01111011101 001001101110 00111111 01101001011 0101111011 0110111011 11101001001 11101011001 0110110111 01111010010 01001011001 110011011 010011111 111011011010 111001011011 1110110010110 1101101011 10110101101 11110101011 10101110010 11111011011 101101101110 01001011001 001111101111 10111110101
Closest metre Iambic hexameter
Characters 2,666
Words 478
Sentences 16
Stanzas 10
Stanza Lengths 6, 4, 2, 6, 6, 6, 6, 6, 6, 6
Lines Amount 54
Letters per line (avg) 39
Words per line (avg) 9
Letters per stanza (avg) 212
Words per stanza (avg) 48
Font size:
 

Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on May 03, 2023

2:24 min read
60

Mathilde Blind

Mathilde Blind, was a German-born British poet. Her work was praised by Matthew Arnold and French politician and historian Louis Blanc. more…

All Mathilde Blind poems | Mathilde Blind Books

1 fan

Discuss this Mathilde Blind poem analysis with the community:

0 Comments

    Citation

    Use the citation below to add this poem analysis to your bibliography:

    Style:MLAChicagoAPA

    "A Bridal In The Bois De Boulogne." Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 28 Mar. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/26949/a-bridal-in-the-bois-de-boulogne.>.

    Become a member!

    Join our community of poets and poetry lovers to share your work and offer feedback and encouragement to writers all over the world!

    March 2024

    Poetry Contest

    Join our monthly contest for an opportunity to win cash prizes and attain global acclaim for your talent.
    3
    days
    19
    hours
    8
    minutes

    Special Program

    Earn Rewards!

    Unlock exciting rewards such as a free mug and free contest pass by commenting on fellow members' poems today!

    Browse Poetry.com

    Quiz

    Are you a poetry master?

    »
    In the Edward Lear poem, which instrument does the Owl play while serenading the Pussy Cat?
    A A mandolin
    B A banjo
    C A guitar
    D A violin