Questions and Answers
What does the speaker in the poem say she gives to the pool?
her light
How is the pool described in the poem?
as profound as the moving sea, fathomless as the sky is far
What interrupts the speaker's moment with the pool?
a brown pig
How does the pool react to the pig's arrival?
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What happens to the star in the poem?
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What is the subject of the poem, as indicated by the title?
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What time of day is described in the first line of the poem?
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What is the shape of the 'world below' according to the poem?
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What does the pool in the wooded place hold according to the poem?
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What is the tone of the poem's description of the natural world?
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Study Notes
The Poem's Speaker and the Pool
- The speaker addresses the pool, expressing her love and admiration for its depth, comparing it to the moving sea.
- She offers to give her light to the pool, suggesting a connection between her inner self and the pool's mysterious nature.
The Pool's Response
- A brown pig appears at night, approaching the pool and wading in, disturbing the water.
- The pig's intrusion causes the water to gurgle with tender glee, churning up mud turbidly.
The Star's Reaction
- The star, once tremulous and shining, grows pale and hides its face in a cloud-like lace, possibly symbolizing the loss of innocence or beauty.
Imagery and Symbolism
- The pool represents the unknown, profound, and fathomless, evoking a sense of awe and wonder.
- The pig's arrival and disruption of the pool's tranquility may symbolize the intrusion of reality or the mundane into the speaker's life or imagination.
- The star's hiding may indicate the fragility of beauty or the impact of external influences on one's inner world.
The Poem's Speaker and the Pool
- The speaker addresses the pool, expressing love and admiration for its depth and promises to give it her light to keep.
- The speaker compares the pool's depth to the moving sea, implying that the pool is more profound and mysterious.
The Contrast between the Pool and the Sea
- The pool is described as "more profound than the moving sea", suggesting that the speaker finds the pool's stillness and calmness more captivating than the sea's movement and power.
- The speaker notes that the sea "never has shown myself to me", implying that the sea's vastness and movement make it difficult to truly know or understand.
The Pig's Disruption of the Scene
- As night falls, a brown pig enters the scene and disturbs the pool's tranquility.
- The pig's actions (grunting, splashing, and wading) disrupt the pool's stillness and cause the water to churn up mud turbidly.
The Star's Reaction
- The star, which had been shining brightly, grows pale and hides its face in a cloud-like lace, suggesting that it is sensitive to the disturbance caused by the pig.
The Second Poem: The Star's Perspective
- The second poem is told from the star's perspective, describing its birth in the evening glow and its gaze upon the round green world below.
- The star sees a pool in a wooded place that holds its mirrored face, implying a sense of self-reflection and connection with the natural world.
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Description
Analyze the poetic description of the speaker's love for the pool, and the pool's mysterious nature, with a surprising twist. Explore the symbolism and themes in this creative poem.