Marshlands

Meet the Author

• Emily Pauline Johnson whose stage name is Tekahionwake, is a poet and a performer.
• Born: 10th March, 1861
• Place of Birth: Six Nations Reserve, Ontario, Canada
• Died: 7th March, 1913
• Major Works: The White Wampum, The Song My Paddle Sings
• Best known for: She is well known for voicing the concerns of the indigenous community through her performance poetry.

Summary of the Poem

“Marshlands” describes the beauty that the poet perceives in a marshland. The marshland is described as a tranquil beauty with a wide array of living beings existing in peace. Johnson uses vivid imagery to portray how night falls on the marshland. From sky to water to land, the poet describes every aspect for a greater understanding.

A thin wet sky, that yellows at the rim,
And meets with sun-lost lip the marsh’s brim.

The pools low lying, dank with moss and mould,
Glint through their mildews like large cups of gold.

Johnson begins the poem by describing the sky around the marshland. Words like “thin” and “wet” indicate that sky can break open at any time bringing with it a torrent of rain. This line describes how in marshlands, storms are a common occurrence and can not be predicted. The otherwise blue sky’s edges are now “yellow”. This colour covers the entire “rim” of the sky and meets where the sun has set. This indicates that the sun is no longer in the sky and a storm is brewing.

The poet uses “pools” to describe the condition of marshlands which are low lying waterlogged areas. These pools entail the majority of the marshlands and are filled with moss and mould. Despite the “mildews” growing, the reflection of the water makes it seem like “large cups of gold”. The poet attempt to portray a vivid picture of the marshland by using words such as “dank” which indicate the moist and wet condition existing in such areas. Such conditions may not be appealing to onlookers but even under such circumstances, the ecosystem continues to thrive.

Among the wild rice in the still lagoon,
In monotone the lizard shrills his tune.

The wild goose, homing, seeks a sheltering,
Where rushes grow, and oozing lichens cling.

Late cranes with heavy wing, and lazy flight,
Sail up the silence with the nearing night.

The poet describes the marshland as a “still lagoon” portraying the calmness before the storm arrives. Further the stagnancy of the water does not indicate lifelessness. Rather, despite the moist conditions, the flora and fauna make the ecosystem. The soil is still fertile which allows crops such as wild rice to grow well.

While there is a lizard roaming through the wild rice, there is a wild goose who is “homing”, meaning trying to find it way back home. In this process, it seeks a shelter in the “rushes” which is a type of plant found in wet areas, or among the “oozing lichens”. The poet aims to portray the intricate details of the marshlands by describing the sounds and creatures which form the ecosystem.

Similar to how the poem is nearing its end, the day is also over and it is “nearing night”. This indicates progression in time. As the daty is nearing an end, the cranes also have a “lazy flight”. They fly up in the silence of the sky without any rush or pretense. There is an air of mystery around the marshland as it hangs in silence with the occasional sounds of the lizard.

And like a spirit, swathed in some soft veil,
Steals twilight and its shadows o’er the swale.

Hushed lie the sedges, and the vapours creep,
Thick, grey and humid, while the marshes sleep.

Gradually, as the day has ended, the darkness of night is spreading all over the marshland. The night has been described as a “spirit” with a veil which “steals” the remaining bit of twilight that is left in the mountains and valleys.

The final couplet gives the sense that the silence of the night has taken over as the “sedges” which are a type of plant sleep. The entire marshland has gone to sleep for the day while the air remains “thick, grey and humid”, The end of the poem indicates the end of the day. With the dawn of a new day, the plants and animals shall rise again.

Through “Marshlands”, the poet attempts to change the way we perceive such an area. She portrays the peaceful atmosphere that accompanies the marshlands despite the existence of a variety of life forms. This poem induces a sense of appreciation towards nature. Johnson contrasts the existing image of marshlands in our minds as a wet, moist area devoid of life forms with the image of marshlands as a tranquil space bustling with life.

This poem consist of fourteen lines divided into seven couplets. Each couplet is a complete picture of different aspects of the marshland and all of them combined give us the larger picture of the marshland.

Johnson utilizes a literary device called imagery, which uses extensive description to induce the senses of the readers. She uses it extensively to allow the readers to feel the peace of the marshlands as they read. For example:

• thin wet sky: stanza 1 line 1
• pools low lying, dank with moss and mould: stanza 2 line 1
• large cups of gold: stanza 2 line 2
• steals twilight and its shadows o’er the swale: stanza 6 line 2
• hushed lie the sedges: stanza 7 line 1

The poet also uses personification wherein a human attribute is given to an inanimate object. For example:

• In monotone the lizard shrills his tune: stanza 3 line 2
• while the marshes sleep: stanza 7 line 2

Additionally, she also uses other literary devices such as:

• Simile: like large cups of gold
• Metaphor: spirit, swathed in some soft veil
• Alliteration: spirit, swathed

The poem is in the form of couplets, hence the rhyming scheme is aa bb cc and so on.

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