A Drop Fell on the Apple Tree
A Drop fell on the Apple Tree –
Another – on the Roof –
A Half a Dozen kissed the Eaves –
And made the Gables laugh –A few went out to help the Brook
That went to help the Sea –
Myself Conjectured were they Pearls –
What Necklaces could be –The Dust replaced, in Hoisted Roads –
The Birds jocoser sung –
The Sunshine threw his Hat away –
The Bushes – spangles flung –The Breezes brought dejected Lutes –
And bathed them in the Glee –
The Orient showed a single Flag,
And signed the fête away –
Summary of A Drop Fell on the Apple Tree
- Popularity of “A Drop Fell on the Apple Tree”: This beautiful poem of Emily Dickinson, a reclusive American poet, first appeared in 1890 when her collection of poems hit the markets. The poem instantly became a hit due to its simplicity, concision, and precision. It touches on the themes of rebirth, nature, and life. However, the beauty of the poem lies in the poetic freshness with rain impacting life and the environment as well as bringing freshness.
- “A Drop Fell on the Apple Tree” As a Representative of Impacts of Rain: Emily Dickinson presents an anonymous speaker who describes the scene of rain. The first stanza shows drops falling on the apple trees, roof, eves, and the gable, making them wet. Then these drops turn into a rivulet or torrent. This rivulet or torrential stream goes to the sea while the speaker intervenes with the first person outlook to state that they were looking like pearls likely to be used to bedeck necklaces. This spirit of evaluating the raindrops through the eyes of the speaker continues with the speaker saying that raindrops have washed the roads, made the birds happy, the sunshine bright, and the bushes washed. With these things, the rain also brings freshness in the breeze and makes the eastern horizon show the flag prominently.
- Major Themes in “A Drop Fell on the Apple Tree”: Nature, the impacts of rain, and optimism are three major themes of the poem “A Drop Fell on the Apple Tree.” The theme of nature starts from the very first verse, showing that the rain is falling on the apple tree and the roof. The poet goes on to state that the rain turns into a rivulet and then goes to the sea, but this first-person speaker appears in the second stanza to present the beautiful description of the drops, equating them with the pearls. The next two stanzas show the impact of rain. It washes the roads, shines the sunlight, and makes the air fresh and the eastern horizon clear. However, herein lies the optimism that every cloudy weather brings freshness and sunshine, which on a symbolical level means the outcome of every grief is happiness.
Analysis of Literary Devices Used in A Drop Fell on the Apple Tree
Emily Dickinson’s skill of using various literary devices simultaneously is matchless. She has beautifully enhanced the intended impact of her poem. Some of the major literary devices she uses here are as follows.
- Assonance: Assonance is the repetition of vowel sounds in the same line, such as the sound of /a/ and /o/ in “A Drop fell on the Apple Tree” and the sound of /o/ in “A few went out to help the Brook.”
- Alliteration: Alliteration is the repetition of consonant sounds in the same line in quick succession, such as the sound of /h/ in “his hat.”
- Consonance: Consonance is the repetition of consonant sounds in the same line, such as the sound of /r/ in “The Dust replaced, in Hoisted Roads” and the sound of /z/ in “The Dust replaced, in Hoisted Roads.”
- Imagery: Imagery is used to make readers perceive things involving their five senses. Emily Dickinson uses imagery in this poem, such as “The Dust replaced, in Hoisted Roads”, “The Breezes brought dejected Lutes” and “The Breezes brought dejected Lutes.”
- Metaphor: It is a figure of speech in which an implied comparison is made between objects different in nature. The poet used different metaphors, such as the drops kissing the eves, making the gables laugh, and helping the brook.
- Personification: It means to attribute human traits to inanimate objects. The poet used personifications such as calling the sunshine “he” and presenting the breeze as well as the orient human beings.
- Symbolism: Symbolism is using symbols to signify ideas and qualities, giving them symbolic meanings that are different from the literal meanings. The poem shows symbols such as apple, roof, brook, sea, and pearls to point to the natural world.
Analysis of Poetic Devices Used in A Drop Fell on the Apple Tree
Poetic and literary devices are the same, but a few are used only in poetry. Here is an analysis of some of the poetic devices used in this poem.
- Diction: It means the type of language. The poem shows very good use of formal and poetic, and natural diction.
- End Rhyme: End rhyme is used to make the stanza melodious. Emily Dickinson used end rhyme in this poem sea/be and sung/flung.
- Rhyme Scheme: The poem follows ABCB, and it continues in all other three stanzas.
- Quatrain: It is a type of Persian poetic stanza having four verses. The poem has four quatrains, such as the first one.
- Stanza: A stanza is a poetic form of some lines. There are four stanzas in this poem, with each comprising four verses, as given in the example of the quatrain.
- Tone: It means the voice of the text. The poem shows an optimistic tone.
Quotes to be Used
The following lines are useful to quote about the impacts of rain on different things.
A Drop fell on the Apple Tree –
Another – on the Roof –
A Half a Dozen kissed the Eaves –
And made the Gables laugh –
