Tavern Poem Analysis
Where is the tavern in this poem?
I'll keep a little tavern
Below the high hill's crest,
Wherein all grey-eyed people
May sit them down and rest.
There shall be plates a-plenty,
And mugs to melt the chill
Of all the grey-eyed people
Who happen up the hill.
There sound will sleep the traveller,
And dream his journey's end,
But I will rouse at midnight
The falling fire to tend.
Aye, 'tis a curious fancy-
But all the good I know
Was taught me out of two grey eyes
A long time ago.
The tavern is out of sight behind a hill.
(Below the high hill's crest)
According to the narrator, who benefits the most from success?
Success is counted sweetest
By those who ne'er succeed.
To comprehend a nectar
Requires sorest need.
Not one of all the purple Host
Who took the Flag today
Can tell the definition
So clear of victory
As he defeated-dying-
On whose forbidden ear
The distant strains of triumph
Burst agonized and clear!
People who fail and never succeed.
(By those who ne'er succeed)
What time of day is this poem taking place?
The grey sea and the long black land;
And the yellow half-moon large and low;
And the startled little waves that leap
In fiery ringlets from their sleep,
As I gain the cove with pushing prow,
And quench its speed i' the slushy sand.
Then a mile of warm sea-scented beach;
Three fields to cross till a farm appears;
A tap at the pane, the quick sharp scratch
And blue spurt of a lighted match,
And a voice less loud, thro' its joys and fears,
Than the two hearts beating each to each!
Nighttime
(Long black land because it's dark. The moon is also out, suggesting it is nighttime.)
What does the narrator mean when they say "grey-eyed people"?
I'll keep a little tavern
Below the high hill's crest,
Wherein all grey-eyed people
May sit them down and rest.
There shall be plates a-plenty,
And mugs to melt the chill
Of all the grey-eyed people
Who happen up the hill.
There sound will sleep the traveller,
And dream his journey's end,
But I will rouse at midnight
The falling fire to tend.
Aye, 'tis a curious fancy-
But all the good I know
Was taught me out of two grey eyes
A long time ago.
Grey-eyed people represent tired, struggling people.
According to the narrator, who can someone understand success?
Success is counted sweetest
By those who ne'er succeed.
To comprehend a nectar
Requires sorest need.
Not one of all the purple Host
Who took the Flag today
Can tell the definition
So clear of victory
As he defeated-dying-
On whose forbidden ear
The distant strains of triumph
Burst agonized and clear!
People who need it most can understand it.
(To comprehend a nectar/Requires sorest need.)
Nectar is a metaphor for success (success is sweet)
What is our narrator doing at night in the first stanza?
The grey sea and the long black land;
And the yellow half-moon large and low;
And the startled little waves that leap
In fiery ringlets from their sleep,
As I gain the cove with pushing prow,
And quench its speed i' the slushy sand.
Then a mile of warm sea-scented beach;
Three fields to cross till a farm appears;
A tap at the pane, the quick sharp scratch
And blue spurt of a lighted match,
And a voice less loud, thro' its joys and fears,
Than the two hearts beating each to each!
They are rowing a boat up to land.
(little waves that leap, as I gain the cove, quench (stop) its speed in sand)
What is the author telling us in the second stanza?
I'll keep a little tavern
Below the high hill's crest,
Wherein all grey-eyed people
May sit them down and rest.
There shall be plates a-plenty,
And mugs to melt the chill
Of all the grey-eyed people
Who happen up the hill.
There sound will sleep the traveller,
And dream his journey's end,
But I will rouse at midnight
The falling fire to tend.
Aye, 'tis a curious fancy-
But all the good I know
Was taught me out of two grey eyes
A long time ago.
They will provide food and drink to people who come stay at their tavern.
Who is the narrator referring to when they say "Not one of all the purple Host/Who took the Flag today"?
Success is counted sweetest
By those who ne'er succeed.
To comprehend a nectar
Requires sorest need.
Not one of all the purple Host
Who took the Flag today
Can tell the definition
So clear of victory
As he defeated-dying-
On whose forbidden ear
The distant strains of triumph
Burst agonized and clear!
Soldiers
(Purple is an honorary color in the military-think Purple Hearts. "Taking the Flag" is a metaphor for fighting against another country on behalf of their country)
What do the lines "And the startled little waves that leap/In fiery ringlets from their sleep" mean?
The grey sea and the long black land;
And the yellow half-moon large and low;
And the startled little waves that leap
In fiery ringlets from their sleep,
As I gain the cove with pushing prow,
And quench its speed i' the slushy sand.
Then a mile of warm sea-scented beach;
Three fields to cross till a farm appears;
A tap at the pane, the quick sharp scratch
And blue spurt of a lighted match,
And a voice less loud, thro' its joys and fears,
Than the two hearts beating each to each!
The waves that aren't used to being disturbed at this time of the night are being lit by the traveler passing through.
(waves sleeping- usually calm at this time, fiery ringlets-lighting them up)
Why does the narrator have to get up at midnight?
I'll keep a little tavern
Below the high hill's crest,
Wherein all grey-eyed people
May sit them down and rest.
There shall be plates a-plenty,
And mugs to melt the chill
Of all the grey-eyed people
Who happen up the hill.
There sound will sleep the traveller,
And dream his journey's end,
But I will rouse at midnight
The falling fire to tend.
Aye, 'tis a curious fancy-
But all the good I know
Was taught me out of two grey eyes
A long time ago.
They have to tend the fire at the tavern to keep the place warm and heated.
What does second stanza mean?
Success is counted sweetest
By those who ne'er succeed.
To comprehend a nectar
Requires sorest need.
Not one of all the purple Host
Who took the Flag today
Can tell the definition
So clear of victory
As he defeated-dying-
On whose forbidden ear
The distant strains of triumph
Burst agonized and clear!
No one can understand success more than soldiers when they are victorious.
Where does the traveler in the poem go to after they make landfall?
The grey sea and the long black land;
And the yellow half-moon large and low;
And the startled little waves that leap
In fiery ringlets from their sleep,
As I gain the cove with pushing prow,
And quench its speed i' the slushy sand.
Then a mile of warm sea-scented beach;
Three fields to cross till a farm appears;
A tap at the pane, the quick sharp scratch
And blue spurt of a lighted match,
And a voice less loud, thro' its joys and fears,
Than the two hearts beating each to each!
They go to a farmhouse.
(...till a farm appears/ a tap at the pane)
Why does the narrator take care of people at the tavern?
I'll keep a little tavern
Below the high hill's crest,
Wherein all grey-eyed people
May sit them down and rest.
There shall be plates a-plenty,
And mugs to melt the chill
Of all the grey-eyed people
Who happen up the hill.
There sound will sleep the traveller,
And dream his journey's end,
But I will rouse at midnight
The falling fire to tend.
Aye, 'tis a curious fancy-
But all the good I know
Was taught me out of two grey eyes
A long time ago.
They were taught to be kind from someone similar to the people they take care of.
(Was taught me out of two grey eyes/A long time ago)
What does the third stanza mean?
Success is counted sweetest
By those who ne'er succeed.
To comprehend a nectar
Requires sorest need.
Not one of all the purple Host
Who took the Flag today
Can tell the definition
So clear of victory
As he defeated-dying-
On whose forbidden ear
The distant strains of triumph
Burst agonized and clear!
A soldier is dying. (As he defeated-dying-)
The soldier can hear a celebration of victory painfully clear. (The distant strains of triumph/Burst agonized and clear!)
How does the person at the house feel upon seeing the traveler?
The grey sea and the long black land;
And the yellow half-moon large and low;
And the startled little waves that leap
In fiery ringlets from their sleep,
As I gain the cove with pushing prow,
And quench its speed i' the slushy sand.
Then a mile of warm sea-scented beach;
Three fields to cross till a farm appears;
A tap at the pane, the quick sharp scratch
And blue spurt of a lighted match,
And a voice less loud, thro' its joys and fears,
Than the two hearts beating each to each!
They are happy to see the traveler.
(And a voice less loud, thro' its joys and fears,/Than the two hearts beating each to each- these lines are saying that their hearts are beating so loud upon seeing each other than their voices.)