Waterfall
by Lauris Dorothy Edmond
I do not ask for youth, nor for delay
in the rising of time’s irreversible river
that takes the jewelled arc of the waterfall
in which I glimpse, minute by glinting minute,
all that I have and all I am always losing
as sunlight lights each drop fast, fast falling.I do not dream that you, young again,
might come to me darkly in love’s green darkness
where the dust of the bracken spices the air
moss, crushed, gives out an astringent sweetness
and water holds our reflections
motionless, as if for ever.It is enough now to come into a room
and find the kindness we have for each other
— calling it love — in eyes that are shrewd
but trustful still, face chastened by years
of careful judgement; to sit in the afternoons
in mild conversation, without nostalgia.But when you leave me, with your jauntiness
sinewed by resolution more than strength
— suddenly then I love you with a quick
intensity, remembering that water,
however luminous and grand, falls fast
and only once to the dark pool below.
Meanings of Waterfall
The poem “Waterfall” by Lauris Dorothy Edmond presents a speaker whose observation of a waterfall brings him nostalgic memory of youth and love. The poet highlights the main ideas of death, the transitory nature of time, life, and everlasting memories.
Meanings of Stanza -1
I do not ask for youth, nor for delay
in the rising of time’s irreversible river
that takes the jewelled arc of the waterfall
in which I glimpse, minute by glinting minute,
all that I have and all I am always losing
as sunlight lights each drop fast, fast falling.
The speaker tells the readers that he does not demand that youth should return, nor he wants delays in his own youthful period. It is akin to asking for delays or a return in the water of the river that is irreversible. The flow of water takes away the arc of the waterfall that shines like a jewel and in which the speaker sees time passing minute by minute. She sees all that she has and all that she is going to lose in the shape of the sunlight that reflects through the fast-falling drops. She means that she recalls what she has is going away from her like the water goes and does not return to the waterfall. The stanza adds to the main theme of the irreversibility of the young period and the flow of time.
Meanings of Stanza -2
I do not dream that you, young again,
might come to me darkly in love’s green darkness
where the dust of the bracken spices the air
moss, crushed, gives out an astringent sweetness
and water holds our reflections
motionless, as if for ever.
The speaker addresses her lover. She states in his absence that she does not dream of him being young or expect his surreptitious return to her life full of his love that is always fresh but dark. It is because “the green darkness” of her love is full of the stringent sweetness given out by the crushed leaves and flowers of bracken trees. This sweetness pervades the air and the water, and the green atmosphere shows their reflections as if they are still there despite the passing of time. It means that she has her love still fresh in her mind, which has become damp with the passage of time, leaving its bittersweetness. This stanza adds to the main idea of love and its memories.
Meanings of Stanza -3
It is enough now to come into a room
and find the kindness we have for each other
— calling it love — in eyes that are shrewd
but trustful still, face chastened by years
of careful judgement; to sit in the afternoons
in mild conversation, without nostalgia.
The speaker addresses her love again. She states that it is enough now that they come into the room, love each other, and mention it with kindness. The shrewd yet trustful eyes watch this scene while their faces have become chaste with old age and resultant wisdom. Then they sit in the afternoon chit-chatting with each other without becoming nostalgic about their youthful period and intense love. She means that she used to love him intensely, which has become less with the passage of time, but they have never felt it as they used to love each other, showing kindness. This stanza contributes to the main idea, which is the nostalgia for the youthful period and love.
Meanings of Stanza -4
But when you leave me, with your jauntiness
sinewed by resolution more than strength
— suddenly then I love you with a quick
intensity, remembering that water,
however luminous and grand, falls fast
and only once to the dark pool below.
The speaker now comes to the point of separation. She refers to it, saying that even their contact or relationship was based on their resolution and not strength. Then she immediately thinks about her intense love and water. The water is bright and majestically flows to the dark pool, never to return. This makes her think about her love in terms of the passing of time. She means that, like the water that flows down and never returns, their youthful period and intense love have passed, never to return. This stanza completes the main ideas of nostalgia, love, and the transitoriness of love and time.
Summary of Waterfall
- Popularity of “Waterfall”: Written by Lauris Dorothy Edmond, a popular poet of New Zealand, “Waterfall” is an emotive poem. The poem deals with the transience of life and age. It shows how quickly life passes and reaches the predestined end of our lives. The poem has earned immeasurable praise due to its universality and unique structure.
- “Waterfall” As a Representative of Death: This poem accounts for the emotions of a lady whose lover has left for eternal abode. It begins when she talks about the constantly spinning wheel of time. She says that no one is capable of changing the cyclical nature of time and reliving the past prime. Like the drops of water, time passes by, leaving behind a mix of sweet and painful memories. She closely observes the falling water and details how each drop catches the light for a brief moment before it falls. She has no desire to live an admiring and lovely life with her partner. The last two stanzas bring to notice the haunting memories of her deceased partner. She appreciates him in a kind way and admits that his death has created a void in her life that can never be filled.
- Major Themes in “Waterfall”: Death, the transience of life, and memory are the major themes of the poem. The poem talks about two things. First, it sings in praise of beautiful natural objects. The writer explains how these wonders bring joy to the wounded heart. Secondly, the poem makes us feel the pain of a lady who has lost the love of her life. Apparently, she is sitting beside a beautiful waterfall and observing its heart-warming beauty. However, inside, she is trying to relate her pain and heartache to the falling drops of water. The poem shows the power of love that even after the demise of the man, the speaker still mourns. She seems unable to move forward in life.
Literary Devices Used in Waterfall
literary devices are modes that represent the writer’s ideas, feelings, and emotions. It is through these devices the writers make their few words appealing to the readers. Lauris Dorothy Edmond has used some literary devices in this poem to make it appealing. The analysis of some of the literary devices used in this poem is listed below.
- Assonance: Assonance is the repetition of vowel sounds in the same line, such as the sound of /e/ in “might come to me darkly in love’s green darkness” and the sound of /o/ in “and only once to the dark pool below.”
- Consonance: Consonance is the repetition of consonant sounds in the same line, such as the sound of /s/ in “moss, crushed, gives out an astringent sweetness” and the sound of /t/ in “in mild conversation, without nostalgia.”
- Euphony: Euphony refers to the use of words and phrases that are distinguished as having pleasant quality. The writer has used this device in the poem, such as “I do not ask for youth, nor for delay/in the rising of time’s irreversible river.”
- Enjambment: It is defined as a thought in verse that does not come to an end at a line break; rather, it rolls over to the next line. For example;
“But when you leave me, with your jauntiness
sinewed by resolution more than strength
suddenly then I love you with a quick
intensity, remembering that water,”
- Imagery: Imagery is used to make readers perceive things involving their five senses. Lauris Dorothy Edmond has used imagery in this poem such as; “that takes the jewelled arc of the waterfall”, “moss, crushed, gives out an astringent sweetness” and “But when you leave me, with your jauntiness.”
- Metaphor: It is a figure of speech in which an implied comparison is made between objects that are different in nature. The poem uses loss and sorrow as extended metaphors to show how the death of someone special digs a deep hole in our lives.
- Symbolism: Symbolism is using symbols to signify ideas and qualities, giving them symbolic meanings that are different from the literal meanings. The poem uses symbols like natural beauty, sorrow, and death.
Analysis of Poetic Devices Used in Waterfall
Although poetic devices are part of literary devices, some of them differ in nature. With the help of poetic devices, the poet sets the mood of the poem and gives his text an indirect meaning. The analysis of some of the poetic devices used in this poem is given below.
- Free Verse: Free verse is a type of poetry that does not contain patterns of rhyme or meter. This is a free verse poem with no strict rhyme or meter.
- Iambic Pentameter: It is a type of meter having five iambs in it. The poem follows iambic pentameter for example, “I do not ask for youth, nor for de”
- Stanza: A stanza is a poetic form of some lines. There are four stanzas in this poem, with each comprising six verses.
Quotes to be Used
The following lines are useful when talking about unforgettable losses. These clearly depict that some losses leave a permanent mark on our lives.
“But when you leave me, with your jauntiness
sinewed by resolution more than strength
— suddenly then I love you with a quick
intensity, remembering that water,”