The poem ‘For Richmond's Garden Wall’ by Robert Louis Stevenson.What is the theme in this poem?
Answers
This is the poem "For Richmond's Garden
Wall" of Robert Louis Stevenson ..
WHEN Thomas set this tablet here,
Time laughed at the vain chanticleer;
And ere the moss had dimmed the stone,
Time had defaced that garrison.
Now I in turn keep watch and ward
In my red house, in my walled yard
Of sunflowers, sitting here at ease
With friends and my bright canvases.
But hark, and you may hear quite plain
Time's chuckled laughter in the lane.
============
The poem depicts the narrator living a retired and restful life in his house.
The things around are the same all the time. He enjoys his time watching things
around sitting in his place and enjoying with friends.
The author feels that the clock (Time) is laughing at him. Reason could be that
he has nothing important to do in there. The time is slowly dimming and
reducing the value and utility of all things around him. Things are ageing and
fading. Time laughs at the helplessness of the narrator.
Setting is he is sitting in his house in a room and watching the compound wall, flowers on the plants in the garden. He watches furniture, carpets and various old traditional things in the house. He is enjoying with friends.