A sea of foliage girds our garden round By Toru Dutt

A  sea of foliage girds our garden round,
But not a sea of dull unvaried green,
Sharp contrasts of all colors here are seen;
The light-green graceful tamarinds abound
Amid the mango clumps of green profound,
And palms arise, like pillars gray, between;
And o'er the quiet pools the seemuls lean,
Red-red, and startling like a trumpet's sound.
But nothing can be lovelier than the ranges
Of bamboos to the eastward, when the moon
Looks through their gaps, and the white lotus changes
Into a cup of silver. One might swoon
Drunken with beauty then, or gaze and gaze
On a primeval Eden, in amaze.

Comments

  1. abdulMarch 15, 2012 at 8:18 AM

    Different foliage, from many different plants.

    Just one type of plant everywhere, would give the impression of "dull unvaried green", but a mixture of plant colors and textures would be "a sea of foliage"

    The ocean isn't just one color....being a mixture of shades and colors, and I think that's the analogy that this is trying to make.
    In her poem 'A Sea of Foliage' Toru Dutt compares the greenery surrounding her family's garden with the sea. She goes on to say that while the sea has an unchanging green colour, her garden is filled with different and exciting shades of green: the light green of the tamarind trees, the deep green of the mango grove, the grey green of the stately palms. A contrast is found in the brilliant red of the flowers of the seemal tree which takes one by surprise like the sudden shrill sound of the trumpet.
    She says that the loveliest however are the lines of bamboo trees, growing towards the eastern side of the garden. When the moon shines through the bamboo trees and when the white lotus looks like a silver cup, the scene is so enchanting that one might almost faint, intoxicated by its beauty or gaze in wonder at what looks like the Garden of Eden- the first garden created by God for Adam and Eve.

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  2. AnonymousSeptember 15, 2013 at 4:04 AM

    This is a poem written by Toru Dutt who sits in front of her garden and feels that a sea of greenery is surrounding her garden which has different shades of green.There are light-green tamarinds and dark-green bunches of mango trees.palms look like grey pillars between the silk-cotton trees which makes her feel surprise like when hearing trumpets sound.The most beautiful of all in this garden is the bamboos which are in the east of the garden.When the moonlight falls between the branches of these bamboo trees the white lotus looks like a silver cup.One who will see this beauty might fell dizzy and would also remember the beautiful garden of Adan and Eve in great wonder.

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  3. RKAugust 23, 2016 at 8:12 AM

    This comment has been removed by the author.

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