Clear and Gentle Stream – Robert Bridges (1873) – Knowledge Organiser

Context (AO3) Poem Analysis

Hymns – Robert Bridges wrote and Robert Bridges’ life – Bridges was a doctor Clear and gentle stream! Bridges opens with an exclamation and
translated a number of hymns later in his for many years until he retired to become a Known and loved so long, appears to address the stream directly. In
career. This poem – written in 1873 – has writer. He was a literary scholar as well as a That hast heard the song, this stanza, he contrasts his ‘boyish day’
since been set to music and sung which religious man and this is reflected in a lot of And the idle dream with his old lament. However, even though
reflects the lyrical nature of Bridges’ poetry. his poetry. In Clear and Gentle Stream, he Of my boyish day; he is older, he is still indulging in the same
Poet Laureate – Bridges was appointed Poet shows not only his knowledge of a variety of While I once again ‘idle dream’ and uses alliteration – ‘the
Laureate between 1913 and his death in literary styles but also how he was influenced Down thy margin stray; selfsame strain’ to explain he is singing the
1930. He was known for his emotive and by spirituality and nature. In the selfsame strain same song. His voice may be old – ‘spent’ –
rhymical poetry. Still my voice is spent, but he is still happy and optimistic about
With my old lament, life. His use of repetition to round off the
And my idle dream, stanza replicates the ebb and flow of the
Clear and gentle stream water and adds to the symmetrical and
Language, form and structure
lyrical nature of his verse.
Form and structure: The poem has four Contrast: Bridges uses the contrast between
Where my old seat was He opens the second stanza by showing that
verses with an unusual rhyme scheme. There ‘boyish days’, ‘youthful song’ and his ‘old
Here again I sit, nothing has changed as he sits in the same
is an enclosed rhyme to start – ABBA, lament’ to show that time has passed.
Where the long bough knit place ‘my old seat’.
followed by alternate rhyme, CDCD and then However, he still has the same ‘idle dream’
Over stream and grass
ending with two rhyming couplets. once he spends time near the stream.
A translucent eaves: He then uses the rest of the stanza to
Natural imagery: Bridges paints an idyllic Tone: The poem is nostalgic and simple in
Where back eddies play describe the natural beauty around him. He
picture of the stream with ‘proud swans’, tone. Bridges is thoughtful and allows his
Shipwreck with the leaves, uses sibilance across a number of lines –
‘translucent eaves’ and ‘fish’ in ‘cool pools’. thoughts to get lost in the beauty of nature.
And the proud swans stray; ‘proud swans/stray/ sailing one by one/Out
These beautiful, calm images unchanging as There is a religious and thankful overtone as
Sailing one by one. of stream and sun’. This repetition of the ‘s’
nature does not change even though Bridges he indulges on a ‘summer day’ and is
Out of stream and sun, sound gives the reader a feeling of
himself has become older. ‘dreaming’ by the stream.
And the fish lie cool movement and tranquillity. He then ends
Repetition: Bridges repeats the phrase Personification: As with many poets in this
In their chosen pool. with a rhyming couplet to describe how the
‘clear and gentle stream’ several times as well collection, Bridges personifies nature. He
fish are swimming untroubled in a cool pool.
as the last three lines in stanza 1 and stanza talks about how the ‘eddies play’ and the
Many an afternoon Bridges shows how much he is at one with
4. This repetition allows the reader to feel the evening draws in with ‘her lengthening shade’
Of the summer day nature and with God in this stanza. He can
flow of the water and to see how the water is and ‘her brightening moon’. This shows how
Dreaming here I lay; lay in the sun and still know the time by the
unchanged and always flowing freely. nature and humans are at one with each
And I know how soon, natural signs around him. He firstly listens
other.
Idly at its hour, for the church bells ‘from the minister
First the deep bell hums tower’. He then uses personification and
Themes
From the minister tower, onomatopoeia to explain how the evening
Happiness: The poem is largely joyful and Nature: Bridges poem talks at length about And then evening comes comes ‘creeping’ in and casts shade on the
praiseworthy. Bridges is enjoying his day at the untouched and nature beauty of the Creeping up the glade, area.
the stream and seems as happy now as he stream. He also emphasises the timelessness With her lengthening shade He finishes the stanza, again with a rhyming
was when he visited the stream as a boy. and power of beauty as he has aged, but the And the tardy boon couplet. Here, he personifies the night
scene has not. Of her brightening moon again and praises her for sending light via
the moon as a late favour or ‘tardy boon’.
Poems for comparison Clear and gentle stream! In the last stanza, Bridges repeats many of
Mild the mist upon the hill – Emily Bronte I Remember, I Remember – Thomas Hood Ere again I go the ideas he has discussed in the previous
(1839). Brontë’s poem touches upon the (1826). Like Bridges, Hood uses natural and Where thou dost not flow. stanza, mimicking the cycle of nature and
same subject matter as Bridges – the idea familiar images to remember pleasant times. Well does it beseem the flow of the stream. He ends by stating
that nature can evoke happy, childhood However, the tone of both of the poems is Thee to hear again that even though he hasn’t been to the
memories. Both also have a strong, lyrical very different. Hood’s poem shows regret and Once my youthful song, stream for a while, he still happy to sing the
almost dream-like quality as the poets’ use unhappiness whilst Bridges is more optimistic That familiar strain same song of praise and have the same
natural scenes to express their sense of and happier in tone. Silent now so long hopes and ambitions.
belonging. Be as I content
With my old lament, As he does in the first stanza, he repeats
And my idle dream, the title of the poem – with an exclamatory
Clear and gentle stream! sentence – clear and gentle stream!