User:Rhiannonsmoore

Now but one moment, let me stay

Now – but one moment, let me stay:

One moment, ere I go

To join the ranks whose bugles play

On Evesham’s woody brow.

One calm hour on the brink of life

Before I dash amid the strife

That sounds upon my ear;

That sullen sound whose sullen roll

Bursts over many a parting soul –

That deep – mouthed voice of war!

Here I am standing lonely ‘neath

The shade of quiet trees,

That scare can catch a single breath

of this sweet evening breeze.

And nothing in the twilight sky

Except its veil of clouds on high

All sleeping calm and grey;

And nothing on the summer gale

But the sweet trumpet’s solemn wail

Slow sounding far away.

That and the strange, uncertain sound

Scare heard, yet heard by all;

A trembling through the summer ground,

A murmuring round the wall.

Themes Music

Nature

Context

Supposed to of been written in 1856 whilst Patrick was working as a portrait painter, and Anne Bronte is ill

Stanza 1

In the first stanza it begins with “Now – “ which has a casesura at the beginning acting like a pause before he starts what he wants to say. He then goes on to talk about playing a “Bugles” which is a brass instrument a bit like a trumpet to show a music theme.

Stanza 2

There is a strong sibilance sound in this stanza when it says, “ That sounds upon my ear; That sullen sound whose sullen roll”, however here there is also repetition, which is emphasising the word “sullen” creating a tone to the stanza.

Stanza 3

In this stanza there is an AB rhyming pattern, where he is talking about nature and standing under a tree taking in the scenery.

Stanza 4

There is a metaphor when it says “ veil of clouds on high, sleeping calm and grey” this is also personified because it sounds as if the clouds can sleep like humans. There is also a reference back to music when it says he talks about playing a trumpet, ”slow sounding” is also an example of sibilance or alliteration.

Stanza 5

In this stanza there are caesuras so the lines are in two parts, with repetition referring to the music theme again. He is also talking about summer and the tone seems to be that he is quite worried about summer coming.