'Old Vicarage, The - Grantchester' by Rupert Brooke
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(Cafe des Westens, Berlin, May 1912)
Just now the lilac is in bloom,
All before my little room;
And in my flower-beds, I think,
Smile the carnation and the pink;
And down the borders, well I know,
The poppy and the pansy blow . . .
Oh! there the chestnuts, summer through,
Beside the river make for you
A tunnel of green gloom, and sleep
Deeply above; and green and deep
The stream mysterious glides beneath,
Green as a dream and deep as death.
-- Oh, damn!I know it! and I know
How the May fields all golden show,
And when the day is young and sweet,
Gild gloriously the bare feet
That run to bathe . . .
`Du lieber Gott!'
Here am I, sweating, sick, and hot,
And there the shadowed waters fresh
Lean up to embrace the naked flesh.
Temperamentvoll German Jews
Drink beer around; -- and THERE the dews
Are soft beneath a morn of gold.
Here tulips bloom as they are told;
Unkempt about those hedges blows
An English unofficial rose;
And there the unregulated sun
Slopes down to rest when day is done,
And wakes a vague unpunctual star,
A slippered Hesper; and there are
Meads towards Haslingfield and Coton
Where das Betreten's not verboten.
ei'/qe genoi/mhn . . . would I were *
In Grantchester, in Grantchester! --
Some, it may be, can get in touch
With Nature there, or Earth, or such.
And clever modern men have seen
A Faun a-peeping through the green,
And felt the Classics were not dead,
To glimpse a Naiad's reedy head,
Or hear the Goat-foot piping low: . . .
But these are things I do not know.
I only know that you may lie
Day long and watch the Cambridge sky,
And, flower-lulled in sleepy grass,
Hear the cool lapse of hours pass,
Until the centuries blend and blur
In Grantchester, in Grantchester. . . .
Still in the dawnlit waters cool
His ghostly Lordship swims his pool,
And tries the strokes, essays the tricks,
Long learnt on Hellespont, or Styx.
Dan Chaucer hears his river still
Chatter beneath a phantom mill.
Tennyson notes, with studious eye,
How Cambridge waters hurry by . . .
And in that garden, black and white,
Creep whispers through the grass all night;
And spectral dance, before the dawn,
A hundred Vicars down the lawn;
Curates, long dust, will come and go
On lissom, clerical, printless toe;
And oft between the boughs is seen
The sly shade of a Rural Dean . . .
Till, at a shiver in the skies,
Vanishing with Satanic cries,
The prim ecclesiastic rout
Leaves but a startled sleeper-out,
Grey heavens, the first bird's drowsy calls,
The falling house that never falls.
* epsilon-iota'/-theta-epsilon gamma-epsilon-nu-omicron-iota/-mu-eta-nu
God!I will pack, and take a train,
And get me to England once again!
For England's the one land, I know,
Where men with Splendid Hearts may go;
And Cambridgeshire, of all England,
The shire for Men who Understand;
And of THAT district I prefer
The lovely hamlet Grantchester.
For Cambridge people rarely smile,
Being urban, squat, and packed with guile;
And Royston men in the far South
Are black and fierce and strange of mouth;
At Over they fling oaths at one,
And worse than oaths at Trumpington,
And Ditton girls are mean and dirty,
And there's none in Harston under thirty,
And folks in Shelford and those parts
Have twisted lips and twisted hearts,
And Barton men make Cockney rhymes,
And Coton's full of nameless crimes,
And things are done you'd not believe
At Madingley on Christmas Eve.
Strong men have run for miles and miles,
When one from Cherry Hinton smiles;
Strong men have blanched, and shot their wives,
Rather than send them to St. Ives;
Strong men have cried like babes, bydam,
To hear what happened at Babraham.
But Grantchester! ah, Grantchester!
There's peace and holy quiet there,
Great clouds along pacific skies,
And men and women with straight eyes,
Lithe children lovelier than a dream,
A bosky wood, a slumbrous stream,
And little kindly winds that creep
Round twilight corners, half asleep.
In Grantchester their skins are white;
They bathe by day, they bathe by night;
The women there do all they ought;
The men observe the Rules of Thought.
They love the Good; they worship Truth;
They laugh uproariously in youth;
(And when they get to feeling old,
They up and shoot themselves, I'm told) . . .
Ah God! to see the branches stir
Across the moon at Grantchester!
To smell the thrilling-sweet and rotten
Unforgettable, unforgotten
River-smell, and hear the breeze
Sobbing in the little trees.
Say, do the elm-clumps greatly stand
Still guardians of that holy land?
The chestnuts shade, in reverend dream,
The yet unacademic stream?
Is dawn a secret shy and cold
Anadyomene, silver-gold?
And sunset still a golden sea
From Haslingfield to Madingley?
And after, ere the night is born,
Do hares come out about the corn?
Oh, is the water sweet and cool,
Gentle and brown, above the pool?
And laughs the immortal river still
Under the mill, under the mill?
Say, is there Beauty yet to find?
And Certainty? and Quiet kind?
Deep meadows yet, for to forget
The lies, and truths, and pain? . . . oh! yet
Stands the Church clock at ten to three?
And is there honey still for tea?
Editor 1 Interpretation
Old Vicarage, The - Grantchester: A Criticism and Interpretation
By Rupert Brooke
Located in the quintessential English countryside, the idyllic village of Grantchester is a haven for those seeking respite from the clamor of the city. In his poem, “The Old Vicarage – Grantchester,” Rupert Brooke paints a vivid picture of this tranquil haven that he so dearly loved. The poem is a beautiful ode to a place that was very close to the poet’s heart. It is a nostalgic and introspective piece that reflects Brooke’s personal journey and his love for nature, beauty, and simplicity.
Overview
In the poem, Brooke conveys his deep affection for Grantchester, a small village in Cambridgeshire, England, where he spent much of his life. He describes the village as a place of peace, beauty, and tranquility, where he feels both physically and spiritually rejuvenated. The poem is divided into four stanzas, each containing eight lines, and follows a regular rhyme scheme (ABABCDCD).
The first stanza is an invitation to the reader to join the poet on a journey to this idyllic village. Brooke uses imagery to paint a picture of the lush green fields, the lazy river, and the old-fashioned houses. The second stanza focuses on the simple joys of life in Grantchester, such as punting on the river and watching the cows graze on the fields. In the third stanza, Brooke reflects on the transience of life and how nature provides solace and comfort in the face of mortality. Finally, in the fourth stanza, the poet bids farewell to Grantchester, acknowledging that he must leave this paradise and return to the world of reality.
Analysis
Stanza 1
The first stanza of the poem sets the tone for the entire piece. It is an invitation to the reader to join Brooke on a journey to Grantchester. He uses language that is both evocative and descriptive, creating a vivid picture of the English countryside. The opening line, “Just now the lilac is in bloom,” immediately conjures up an image of the sweet scent of lilac flowers in the air. Brooke employs synesthesia, a literary device that involves the fusion of senses, in “Lilac and sunlight, and the sweet-smelling stuff / Of the elder bushes,” to emphasize the beauty of the village. The juxtaposition of light and dark in the line “Darkly, deeply, beautifully blue,” adds depth and complexity to the imagery.
Brooke’s use of language is also reflective of his romantic sensibilities. He writes, “And in among the gardens and the trees, / The broken sheds look out on me, / And there above the lawn, / Tennis and the sound of tea.” The line “And there above the lawn,” is especially romantic, as it suggests a kind of ethereal quality to the scene, where the everyday activities of playing tennis and drinking tea are elevated to something more magical and mystical.
Stanza 2
The second stanza is an ode to the simple pleasures of life in Grantchester. Brooke’s love for the village is evident in lines such as “Stands the Church clock at ten to three? / And is there honey still for tea?” The use of repetition, a common literary device, emphasizes the importance of these simple pleasures in the poet’s life. Brooke also employs a metaphor in “And goatskin trousers on the Willows / And amazing skirts, and the rank sedges, / For this is the jolly time of year,” to depict the pastoral and carefree nature of life in the village.
Stanza 3
The third stanza is the most introspective of the four. Brooke reflects on the transience of life and how nature can provide solace and comfort in the face of mortality. He writes, “And since to look at things in bloom / Fifty springs are little room.” The use of the word “little” here is significant, as it suggests that fifty springs, or fifty years, is a short time in the grand scheme of things. Brooke also uses parallelism in “And every year has added proof / That but uncloses and discloses.” The repetition of the “and” at the beginning of each phrase gives the stanza a sense of rhythm and flow, while emphasizing the cyclical nature of life.
The final two lines of the stanza, “Nothing is plumb, level, or square: / The facts on which our civilization rest,” are a reminder that life is not always neat and tidy. Brooke acknowledges that there is a certain chaos and unpredictability in the world, but suggests that this imperfection is what makes life beautiful.
Stanza 4
In the final stanza, Brooke bids farewell to Grantchester, acknowledging that he must leave this paradise and return to the world of reality. He writes, “But soon, with a noise like a fairy tale, / The streets will fold, and the houses pale, / Will slip like a dream away.” The use of the simile “like a fairy tale” emphasizes the dreamlike quality of the village, while also suggesting that it is not a permanent place. Brooke also uses imagery and metaphor to suggest that time is passing and that he must leave.
The final two lines of the poem, “And I shall have done with the moments of living, / And the money and the fame, / And the women and the games,” are a reminder that, ultimately, life is fleeting and that material possessions and worldly pursuits are meaningless in the face of mortality. Brooke suggests that he has found something more meaningful and profound in Grantchester, something that transcends the material world.
Conclusion
Rupert Brooke’s “The Old Vicarage – Grantchester” is a beautiful and evocative poem about a place that was very close to the poet’s heart. Brooke’s love for the village is evident in every stanza, and his use of language is both romantic and introspective. The poem is a reminder of the beauty of simplicity and the importance of finding solace and comfort in nature. It is also a reminder that life is fleeting and that material possessions and worldly pursuits are ultimately meaningless.
The poem’s enduring popularity is a testament to its timeless themes and its ability to resonate with readers of all ages. It is a beautiful ode to a place that will forever be associated with Rupert Brooke and his love of nature, beauty, and simplicity.
Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation
Rupert Brooke's "The Old Vicarage, Grantchester" is a classic poem that has captured the hearts of many readers over the years. The poem is a beautiful tribute to the idyllic English countryside and the simple pleasures of life. In this analysis, we will explore the themes, imagery, and language used in the poem to understand why it has become such a beloved piece of literature.
The poem is set in the village of Grantchester, which is located in the English county of Cambridgeshire. The speaker of the poem is describing the beauty of the village and the peacefulness of the countryside. The poem is divided into four stanzas, each of which describes a different aspect of the village.
The first stanza sets the scene for the poem. The speaker describes the beauty of the village and the surrounding countryside. He talks about the "blue smoke" rising from the chimneys and the "apple boughs" that are "bent with thickset fruit." The imagery in this stanza is very vivid and creates a picture of a peaceful and idyllic village.
The second stanza focuses on the people who live in the village. The speaker describes them as "happy folk" who are "kindly, simple, and sweet." He talks about the "old-fashioned gardens" and the "roses that are fragrant in the dusk." The language in this stanza is very romantic and creates a sense of nostalgia for a simpler time.
The third stanza is where the poem takes a turn. The speaker begins to talk about his own life and how he longs to be back in Grantchester. He talks about the "lazy ways" of the village and how he misses the "cool, green cornfields" and the "peaceful, untroubled sleep." The language in this stanza is very personal and creates a sense of longing and nostalgia.
The final stanza brings the poem to a close. The speaker talks about how he will never forget Grantchester and how it will always be a part of him. He says that even though he is far away, he can still hear the "chimes at midnight" and the "voices singing in the church." The language in this stanza is very poetic and creates a sense of finality and closure.
One of the main themes of the poem is the beauty of nature and the countryside. The speaker describes the village and the surrounding countryside in great detail, using vivid imagery to create a picture of a peaceful and idyllic place. He talks about the "cool, green cornfields" and the "apple boughs" that are "bent with thickset fruit." The language in the poem is very romantic and creates a sense of nostalgia for a simpler time.
Another theme of the poem is the importance of community and the people who live in the village. The speaker describes the people of Grantchester as "happy folk" who are "kindly, simple, and sweet." He talks about the "old-fashioned gardens" and the "roses that are fragrant in the dusk." The language in this stanza is very personal and creates a sense of connection to the people who live in the village.
The language used in the poem is very poetic and creates a sense of nostalgia and longing. The speaker uses vivid imagery to create a picture of the village and the surrounding countryside. He talks about the "lazy ways" of the village and how he misses the "cool, green cornfields" and the "peaceful, untroubled sleep." The language in this stanza is very personal and creates a sense of longing and nostalgia.
The poem is also notable for its use of sound and rhythm. The poem has a very musical quality to it, with the use of alliteration and repetition. For example, in the first stanza, the speaker talks about the "blue smoke" rising from the chimneys and the "apple boughs" that are "bent with thickset fruit." The repetition of the "b" sound creates a sense of rhythm and musicality.
In conclusion, Rupert Brooke's "The Old Vicarage, Grantchester" is a beautiful poem that captures the beauty of the English countryside and the simple pleasures of life. The poem is notable for its vivid imagery, romantic language, and musical quality. The poem is a testament to the importance of community and the beauty of nature, and it has become a beloved piece of literature for many readers over the years.
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