A Sea of Foliage
1. This poem describes a
garden at 2 different times what are those times? How do you know?
The poem “A Sea of Foliage”
describes a garden at two different times: day and night. The poet describes
the different shades of green in the foliage, which are only visible in the
sunlight. She also describes the moon peeping between the bamboo trees. This indicates that it is night.
2. A sea of
foliage … But not a sea of dull and unvaried green.
The foliage is compared to a sea
because it appears as vast and endless like a sea but unlike a sea, which has
an unvarying shade of green throughout, the foliage in her garden has a
different exciting and contrasting shade of green. This breaks the dullness
seen in the sea.
b.
How is the sea not of dull, unvaried green? Give an
example of how the green varies.
Just one type of plant everywhere
like the sea which remains unchanged, will be dull. In the same similar type of
plant will give a dull impression. But in the poet’s garden there is a mixture
of plants colors and textures which could be a sea of foliage around her
garden. Her garden is filled with different and exciting and contrasting shades
of green like the light green of the tamarind tree the deep green of mango
grove.
c.
What effect does the variation have on the garden
and the speaker?
The variation brightens the look
of the garden which would have looked dull otherwise the poet’s spirit is also
lifted looking at the contrasting shades of green.
3. Why does the
speaker consider the scene among the bamboos the loveliest spot in the garden?
What effect does this beauty have on her?
The scene among the bamboos is
the loveliest spot because the beautiful silver moon peeps between the tall
gray bamboos and shines dazzlingly on white lotuses blowing in the pool. This
beautiful sight is so intoxicating that the poet feels drunk with the amazing
beauty of the scene she almost feels dizzy.
4. … The White
Lotus changes into a cup of silver. What does this mean?
This means that White Lotuses are
gleaming like silver cups when the moon shines on them.
5. Palms arise
light pillars gray
a.
Which quality of the palms does this simile point
at?
The simile points out at the tallness and straightness of the palm trees.
b. Find another simile in the first stanza of the poem. Explain it what is unusual about this simile?
Another simile is ‘o’er the quiet pools the Seemuls lean Rred/red, and starting like a trumpet’s sound. This means that the Seemul trees lean over the quiet pools of water, red in color & presenting a contrast to the green around them. This contrast and difference may surprise someone, who is not expecting it. What is unusual about this simile is that it compares a sight to a sound instead of to another sight.
6. This poem
asks us to look all around the garden not only from one side to another but
also from high above to down below how does it do that?
This poem asks us to look around
the garden from one side to another as it points at the different trees
standing side by side, from the tamarind to the mango to the simuls. It also
begins by saying that the foliage surrounds the garden on all sides, so that to
see the foliage, we have to look all around. It then talks about the moon in
the sky visible through the bamboo trees and goes on to describe the white lotus
floating on a pool of water, thus making us look from the sky above to the
ground below.
7. How does the
quote describe the garden that she sees? What effect does the beauty of the
garden have on the observer?
The poet gives a beautiful, rich picture
description of the garden that she sees around. Everything is so colorful and
attractive that one loses track of time just looking at the nature surrounded
by beauty. The mango tree with clumps of mango, the tall palm tree like pillars,
the silk cotton with red flowers - all present eternal beauty. The poet says that
the white lotus in the pond looks like a silver cup, when the moonlight falls
on it from the gaps of the bamboo trees. With this kind of eternal beauty
around, we cannot but help gaze with wonder at this heaven on the earth.
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