Analysis of Grand'Ther Baldwin's Thanksgiving
Underneath protected branches, from the highway just aloof;
Stands the house of Grand'ther Baldwin, with its gently sloping roof.
Square of shape and solid-timbered, it was standing, I have heard,
In the days of Whig and Tory, under royal George the Third.
Many a time, I well remember, I have gazed with Childish awe
At the bullet-hole remaining in the sturdy oaken door,
Turning round half-apprehensive (recking not how time had fled)
Of the lurking, savage foeman from whose musket it was sped..
Not far off, the barn, plethoric with the autumn's harvest spoils,
Holds the farmer's well-earned trophies--the guerdon of his toils;
Filled the lofts with hay, sweet-scented, ravished from the meadows green,
While beneath are stalled the cattle, with their quiet, drowsy mien.
Deep and spacious are the grain-bins, brimming o'er with nature's gold;
Here are piles of yellow pumpkins on the barn-floor loosely rolled.
Just below in deep recesses, safe from wintry frost chill,
There are heaps of ruddy apples from the orchard the hill.
Many a year has Grand'ther Baldwin in the old house dwelt in peace,
As his hair each year grew whiter, he has seen his herds increase.
Sturdy sons and comely daughters, growing up from childish plays,
One by one have met life's duties, and gone forth their several ways.
Hushed the voice of childish laughter, hushed is childhood's merry tone,
the fireside Grand'ther Baldwin and his good wife sit alone.
Turning round half-apprehensive (recking not how time had fled)
Of the lurking savage foeman from whose musket it was sped.
Not far off, the barn, plethoric with the autumn harvest spoils,
Holds the farmer's well-earned trophies--the guerdon of his toils;
Filled the lofts with hay, sweet-scented, ravished from the meadows green,
While beneath are stalled the cattle, with their quiet drowsy mien.
Deep and spacious are the grain-bins, brimming o'er with nature's gold;
Here are piles of yellow pumpkins on the barn-floor loosely rolled.
Just below in deep recesses, safe from wintry frost and chill,
There are heaps of ruddy apples from the orchard on the hill.
Many a year has Grand'ther Baldwin in the old house dwelt in peace,
As his hair each year grew whiter, he has seen his herds increase.
Sturdy sons and comely daughters, growing up from childish plays,
One by one have met life's duties, and gone forth their several ways.
Hushed the voice of childish laughter, hushed is childhood's merry tone,
By the fireside Grand'ther Baldwin and his good wife sit alone.
Yet once within the twelvemonth, when the days are short and drear,
And chill winds chant the requiem of the slowly fading year,
When the autumn work is over, and the harvest gathered in,
Once again the old house echoes to a long unwonted din.
Logs of hickory blaze and crackle in the fireplace huge anti high,
Curling wreaths of smoke mount upward to the gray November sky.
Ruddy lads and smiling lasses, just let loose from schooldom's cares,
Patter, patter, race and clatter, up and down the great hall stairs.
All the boys shall hold high revel; all the girls shall have their way,-
That's the law at Grand'ther Baldwin's upon each Thanksgiving Day.
From from the parlor's sacred precincts, hark! a madder uproar yet;
Roguish Charlie's playing stage-coach, and the stage-coach has upset!
Joe, black-eyed and laughter-loving, Grand'ther's specs his nose across,
Gravely winks at brother Willie, who is gayly playing horse.
Grandma's face is fairly radiant; Grand'ther knows not how to frown,
though the children, in their frolic, turn the old house upside down.
For the boys may hold high revel, and the girls must have their way;
That's the law at Grand'ther Baldwin's upon each Thanksgiving Day.
But the dinner--ah! the dinner--words are feeble to portray
What a culinary triumph is achieved Thanksgiving Day!
Fairly groans the board with dainties, but the turkey rules the roast,
Aldermanic at the outset, at the last a fleshless ghost.
Then the richness of the pudding, and the flavor of the pie,
When you've dined at Grandma Baldwin's you will know as well as I.
When, at length, the feast was ended, Grand'ther Baldwin bent his head,
And, amid the solemn silence, with a reverent voice, he said:--
"Now unto God, the Gracious One, we thanks and homage pay,
Who guardeth us, and guideth us, and loveth us always!
"He scatters blessings in our paths, He giveth us increase,
He crowns us with His kindnesses, and granteth us His peace.
"Unto himself, our wandering feet, we pray that He may draw,
And may we strive, with faithful hearts, to keep His holy law!"
His simple words in silence died: a moment's hush. And then
From all the listening hearts there rose a solemn-voiced Amen!
Scheme | aa bb xc DD eE FF GG hh II JJ Kk DD eE FF GG hh II JJ Kk cx ll mm nn oO pp xx qq oO oo rr mm dd oj ii ss tt |
---|---|
Poetic Form | |
Metre | 0101010101101 10111101110101 11101011110111 001110101010101 1001110101111101 10101010001011 1011010111111 10101011110111 1110111010101 1010111001111 1011111011011 101110101110101 1010101110101101 111110101011101 10101100111011 11111010101001 100111100011101 111111101111101 101010101011101 111111100111101 10111010111101 0101100111101 1011010111111 10101011110111 1110111010101 1010111001111 1011111011011 101110101110101 1010101110101101 111110101011101 101011001110101 111110101010101 100111100011101 111111101111101 101010101011101 111111100111101 10111010111101 10101100111101 1101011011101 011101001010101 101011100010100 1010111010111 11100101000101101 101111101010101 1010101111111 101010101010111 101111101011111 1011110011101 1101101101011 11010110011101 11101010111101 10111010111101 11110100111111 101001101011111 101111100011111 1011110011101 101010101110101 1010010101101 10101111010101 1101101011 101010100010101 111110101111111 11101110110111 0010101010100111 11010101110101 1110110111 11100101110101 11111101111 1001101001111111 01111101111101 11010101010101 110100111010101 |
Closest metre | Iambic octameter |
Characters | 4,750 |
Words | 833 |
Sentences | 34 |
Stanzas | 36 |
Stanza Lengths | 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2 |
Lines Amount | 72 |
Letters per line (avg) | 51 |
Words per line (avg) | 11 |
Letters per stanza (avg) | 103 |
Words per stanza (avg) | 22 |
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Submitted on August 03, 2020
Modified on March 05, 2023
- 4:19 min read
- 6 Views
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"Grand'Ther Baldwin's Thanksgiving" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 29 Apr. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/55628/grand%27ther-baldwin%27s-thanksgiving>.
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