Nonsense Verse Poem: The Owl

Khoriyah, an English teacher from Pasuruan, East Java, Indonesia, analyzes a nonsense verse poem entitle The Owl composed by Tennyson. She mentions that the poem is compatible with the students of junior high school either in meaning or structure. They will enjoy reading this poem.

THE OWL

By Tennyson

When cats run home and light is come,

And dew is cold upon the ground,

And the far-off stream is dumb,

And the whirring sail goes round,

And the whirring sail goes round;

Alone and warming his five wits,

The white owl in the belfry sits.

When merry milkmaids click the latch,

And rarely smells the new-mown hay,

And the cock hath sung beneath the thach

Twice or thrice his roundelay,

Twice or thrice his roundelay;

Alone and warming his five wits,

The white owl in the belfry sits.

 

Poetic devices	Rhyme:  I.  a – b - a – b – b – c – c                II. a – b – a – b – b – c – c
	Names of lines:       1 foot= monometer                   When cats run home and light is come,       2 feet= Dimeter                        Alone and warming his five wits,           The white owl in the belfry sits.
	Repetition  :      And the whirring sail goes round,      And the whirring sail goes round;      Alone and warming his five wits,      The white owl in the belfry sits.      (it can be found in the first and the second stanza)
	Alliteration : none
	Onomatopoeia : none
	Comparison : none
Kinds of Stanza	Couplet :      And the whirring sail goes round,      And the whirring sail goes round;            Alone and warming his five wits,            The white owl in the belfry sits.
Poetic diction	Personification: And the far-off stream is dumb,
Symbol	The white owl in the belfry sits. The white owl in the belfry sits. White symbolizes innocent, pure, wise.
Tone	Harmony
Paraphrase	Owl in harmony with himself, despite nature not being in harmony.
Message	We should create a peaceful life in surrounding nature.
Comments	This poem is compatible with the students of junior high school either in meaning or structure. They will enjoy reading this poem.