Recently, I found a famous 18th century poem on "The Garden" that is quite beautiful. It emphasizes the beauty and tranquility of being with plants, trees, and herbs.
The Garden
by Andrew Marvell
by Andrew Marvell
How vainly
men themselves amaze
To win the
palm, the oak, or bays,
And their
uncessant labours see
Crown’d
from some single herb or tree,
Whose short
and narrow verged shade
Does
prudently their toils upbraid;
While all
flow’rs and all trees do close
To weave the
garlands of repose.
Fair Quiet,
have I found thee here,
And
Innocence, thy sister dear!
Mistaken
long, I sought you then
In busy
companies of men;
Your sacred
plants, if here below,
Only among
the plants will grow.
Society is
all but rude,
To this
delicious solitude.
No white nor
red was ever seen
So am’rous
as this lovely green.
Fond lovers,
cruel as their flame,
Cut in these
trees their mistress’ name;
Little, alas,
they know or heed
How far these
beauties hers exceed!
Fair trees!
wheres’e’er your barks I wound,
No name shall
but your own be found.
When we have
run our passion’s heat,
Love hither
makes his best retreat.
The gods,
that mortal beauty chase,
Still in a
tree did end their race:
Apollo hunted
Daphne so,
Only that she
might laurel grow;
And Pan did
after Syrinx speed,
Not as a
nymph, but for a reed.
What
wond’rous life in this I lead!
Ripe apples
drop about my head;
The luscious
clusters of the vine
Upon my mouth
do crush their wine;
The nectarine
and curious peach
Into my hands
themselves do reach;
Stumbling on
melons as I pass,
Ensnar’d
with flow’rs, I fall on grass.
Meanwhile the
mind, from pleasure less,
Withdraws
into its happiness;
The mind,
that ocean where each kind
Does straight
its own resemblance find,
Yet it
creates, transcending these,
Far other
worlds, and other seas;
Annihilating
all that’s made
To a green
thought in a green shade.
Here at the
fountain’s sliding foot,
Or at some
fruit tree’s mossy root,
Casting the
body’s vest aside,
My soul into
the boughs does glide;
There like a
bird it sits and sings,
Then whets,
and combs its silver wings;
And, till
prepar’d for longer flight,
Waves in its
plumes the various light.
Such was that
happy garden-state,
While man
there walk’d without a mate;
After a place
so pure and sweet,
What
other help could yet be meet!
But ’twas
beyond a mortal’s share
To wander
solitary there:
Two paradises
’twere in one
To live in
paradise alone.
How well the
skillful gard’ner drew
Of flow’rs
and herbs this dial new,
Where from
above the milder sun
Does through
a fragrant zodiac run;
And as it
works, th’ industrious bee
Computes its
time as well as we.
How could
such sweet and wholesome hours
Be reckon’d
but with herbs and flow’rs!
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