Analysis Essay Sample on 'The Feet of Spring On The Stair' by Rosalia de Castro

Poem analysis is among the most challenging forms of literature. Unlike prose, poetry put a lot of emphasis on form and also on content, which tends to be symbolic and a little bit more obscure. In this essay, poem analysis will be studied based on content and form to bring out the meaning of the poem. The poem used in this context is The Feet Of Spring On The Stair by Rosalia de Castro, which will get analyzed in terms of romantic elements used and how they indicate the values of the era when the poem was composed.

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Poetic content is the language used in the content of a poem. Different elements are used to create a poem's content. Elements used include the poem's topic, subject matter, and theme. All these elements express what a poem is all about. The given poem, for instance, can show different issues ranging from love to a relationship in nature. The poem's tone is nostalgic. The poet uses the right word choice, picked wisely to express the theme appropriately. The poem has no word order, and the words are deliberately mixed to capture the reader's attention. The poem's figurative language is indicative of the values of the era in which it was written. The symbolic language used comprises of words and expressions in such a way that they go past their ordinary, literal meanings. The poem uses metaphors and similes, wordplay, and symbolism. Rosalia de Castro, in verse, says: "Unblest are they who dreamless draw their breath and fortunate who in a dream find death." The words can be taken to mean that it is better today clinging to the hope of endless life instead of living without realizing the potential of growth. The imagery used in the poem makes a unique appeal to the senses. It is used vividly to create a mental picture in the reader's mind. In her poetry "The Feet Of Spring Are On The Stair," de Castro stresses the statement using the rhyme and syllabic patterns while elevating the importance of this reality as a superiority by contrasting the given romantic ideal with different aspects of Victorian-era science. She concludes the concept through the creation of a narrative of the progress made in life under recurring heat. The elements used in the poem support its epicenter, which is de Castro's philosophical assertion concerning life, dreams, and death that relates to their time.

The given poem is a translation of the poem from its original Galician Spanish language. The rhyme scheme and syllabic patterns might still be valid because the translator wanted to maintain the poem's integrity as it was in the original. The poem consists of three stanzas, with each having seven lines. Every verse follows a unique pattern of rhyme and syllables, although the pattern is different in each stanza. Even though the stanzas have the same amount of lines, the number of syllables in each line differs. The main four-syllable line contains a nonpaired rhyme. The rhyme scheme used in the second and third stanzas at the same time shows how parallel they are to their particular syllabic patterns. However, the last two lines of the second stanza are not regular and contain ten syllables. The two lines make it clear that the poet reflects on the most critical thoughts in the poem. Notably, the parallel in the third stanza has rhymes and syllables that directly reflect one another. The coincidence created is a possibility of translation and begs the question of why de Castro ends her poem with an emphasized conclusion even though it could affect the message conveyed in lines thirteen and fourteen.

The poem is indicative of the values of the era in which it was written. During the period, the collocation of science and philosophy was significant. It was a romantic era since most countries had ushered in the Victorian era, which contained scientific discoveries. When the author mentions "atoms drifting in the air," she is referring to a new idea in Romantic poetry because, at the time of the setting, atomic theory was a new concept. Notably, she describes the terms as existing "pair by pair." In that statement, she is referring to diatomic elements which form the essential foundations of creation and include a bond of two atoms. The mention of the atomic theory can only mean that de Castro got highly influenced by the Victorian era and the emergence of science. However, in the context, she romanticizes the science. The poet mentions that, the atoms "kiss as they meet," giving an implication that the two are not bonded together based on scientific explanations. Instead, she introduces new elements of love and sex into this allusion about how atoms are the basic building blocks of life when looked at from a scientific perspective and a product of love when looked at from a philosophical perspective.

Generally, the reader can see how the author got influenced by the Victorian era of science which existed during the time. She uses new scientific approaches in her poetry and emphasizes her focus on this philosophical truth used in line thirteen and fourteen while maintaining the thought that the objective truth is superior to the scientific fact presented in the context. The importance of philosophical truth over scientific truth gets supported by the active romantic elements shown in the poem. The romantic elements used consist of natural metaphors which can be seen in the description of infancy presented as a "yesterday bud." In the implication of love and sex, the vivid description of "seeds astir" with "amorous heat," gives an idea that a thing is expected to grow and accommodate life adequately. The poem mentions life, death, and dreaming, which are terms that are widely used in romantic poetry. She also personifies nature when she describes spring as a "Her" and then proceeds to give her human attributes such as a breath that is sweet and warm. The mentioned romantic elements get used in line with the Victorian influence of science. The poet uses this science as a truth that no one can avoid but ends up romanticizing it and disregarding the significance of this fact when in contrast to the importance of holding on to a dream about the potential of life.

Another romantic element mentioned in the poem is the presence of heat in the development of life. The element of heat is not meant to hoist the truth around which the work is centered; nevertheless, it puts into perspective the significance of possessing this dream to contain and maintain life. During the first mentions about heat, it is described as a "warm" breath of spring. The warmth presents life as it enters the world and then goes on to become "amorous heat" when "seeds are astir with restless beat" since at this stage they are eager to form life and become a significant source of life. The heat goes up when describing the "youth's heart" as "hot." At this stage, life transitions from an infancy stage into an older but still youthful stage of life whereby it is referred to as the "sun-scorched blossom," representing maturity and ushering in of adulthood as the heat intensifies. Lastly, "Summer masters Spring," symbolizes that the intense heat has overcome life. The heat is the one that ignites a seed to sprout and guides a bud to blossom. However, overexposure to heat after maturity can eventually overwhelm the bloom of its life. For instance, individual plants and flowers need heat to thrive and blossom. However, the more heat it gets, the more it is damaged gradually. Finally, de Castro claims that the dream is essential in understanding life. However, even though the idea brings a flourishing effect, it also brings a withering effect.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the reader can see how the author is influenced by the Victorian era of science which existed during the time. During the time de Castro composed the poem, the Victorian-era had been ushered in which also led to the emergence of the romantic era, that contained scientific discoveries. She used new scientific approaches in her poetry with indicative elements that represent her era. Nature is always ever-present in the manifestations of the poet in her work.