Among the Rocks
Oh, good gigantic smile o' the brown old earth,
This autumn morning! How he sets his bones
To bask i' the sun, and thrusts out knees and feet
For the ripple to run over in its mirth;
Listening the while, where on the heap of stones
The white breast of the sea-lark twitters sweet.
That is the doctrine, simple, ancient, true;
Such is life's trial, as old earth smiles and knows.
If you loved only what were worth your love,
Love were clear gain, and wholly well for you:
Make the low nature better by your throes!
Give earth yourself, go up for gain above!
Robert Browning
"Among the Rocks" is a twelve verse poem that praises the earth. The first verse "Oh, good gigantic smile o' the brown old earth" introduces this ode to the earth. A sense of serenity then is found throughout the poem. Words such as "sets" (verse two), "bask" (verse three) give a sense of relaxation. The poet also describes the scenery among the rocks. In verse two the reader understands that it is a morning of autumn, while on verse five a heap of stones is described. The poet then continues to speak about an ancient doctrine, probably speaking of the earth. Also love is mentioned, and probably this love is referred to not only a person but also to the earth, for it is ancient and true. The poem concludes itself with the line "Give earth yourself, go up for gain above!" (verse 1twelve). This could represent the love for earth, or maybe even death. By dying, one is giving his/her body back to earth, the "mother of all life". The "gain above" could be the afterlife, such as Paradise, or maybe the final reunion with earth. I believe this poem is trying to convey that our final destiny is to be reunited with our creator, the earth, and that it is the only true pure thing that exists.
A few facts about "Among the Rocks"
A few facts about "Among the Rocks"
2 comments:
I did this for teachers:
Bask - lie exposed to warmth and light, typically from the sun, for relaxation
and pleasure
Mirth - cheeriness, gladness accompanied by laughter
Sea-lark - a little bird from Scandinavia who winters in England from Oct.to April
Throes - intense or violent pain and struggle, especially accompanying birth,
death, or great change
Analysis:
This is a deeply joyful poem. I love the image of the old earth, like a lumbering giant resting his bones as the waters of a refreshing stream pass over his feet. It’s an autumn morning. Autumn holds the memory of warm summer days and the prospects of the coming winter. Birds are part of the landscape in autumn, and amid this reflection a sea-lark is heard. Old Earth, the heap of stones, supports this little creature full of life and song … and listens.
“That is the doctrine, simple, ancient, true.” Old Earth wisely knows that if you love only that which you deem worthy of your love - love then would be about what benefits you. But if you can love, when love might not be returned, or present immediate benefits, or when it’s hard to love … that is real love. Our fallible, human nature will be blessed by such pain … put your heart into it … the gain is eternal.
The great thing about poetry is that we can often debate the meaning, so I appreciate your interpretation of it as a happy poem. To me, it is a pretty dark and depressing poem much like many of Browning’s poems, which are told from the perspective of men who feel they lack what it takes to please their lovers, often resorting to violently killing their lovers rather than letting other men possess them sexually.
The speaker implies (at least, in my opinion) that he loves someone (or thing) that he feels doesn’t deserve his love. He is looking down (probably from a cliff) at rocks deliberating whether he should commit suicide. And knowing that Browning himself (as well as plenty of his speakers) questioned the existence of a personified loving and caring deity, the ending seems very ironic.
But the poem ends before we know what happens to the speaker. As soon as he thinks about “the gain above,” the poem ends and the speaker is stuck in indecision eternally. The same thing happens to us according to Hamlet when we think about killing ourselves—ay there’s the rub!
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