Poem: Lines from the Deserted Village

 

Poem: Lines from the Deserted Village

By Oliver Goldsmith

Sweet Auburn! loveliest village of the plain,
Where health and plenty cheered the labouring swain,
Where smiling spring its earliest visit paid,
And parting summer’s lingering blooms delayed:

Dear lovely bowers of innocence and ease,
Seats of my youth, when every sport could please,
How often have I loitered o’er thy green,
Where humble happiness endeared each scene!

How often have I paused on every charm,

The sheltered cot, the cultivated farm,
The never-failing brook, the busy mill,
The decent church that topped the neighbouring hill;

The hawthorn bush, with seats beneath the shade,
For talking age and whispering lovers made!

How often have I blessed the coming day,
When toil remitting lent its turn to play,

And all the village train, from labour free,
Led up their sports beneath the spreading tree,
While many a pastime circled in the shade,

The young contending as the old survey’d;

And many a gambol frolicked o’er the ground,
And sleights of art and feats of strength went round;
And still, as each repeated pleasure tir’d,
Succeeding sports the mirthful band inspir’d;

The dancing pair that simply sought renown,
By holding out to tire each other down;
The swain mistrustless of his smutted face,
While secret laughter tittered round the place;

The bashful virgin’s sidelong looks of love,

The matron’s glance that would those looks reprove;
These were thy charms, sweet village! sports like these,
With sweet succession, taught e’en toil to please;

These round thy bowers their cheerful influence shed,
These were thy charms—but all these charms are fled.

Ill fares the land, to hastening ills a prey,
Where wealth accumulates, and men decay;
Princes and lords may flourish, or may fade—
A breath can make them, as a breath has made;

But a bold peasantry, their country’s pride,
When once destroyed, can never be supplied.

Stanza 1.

Sweet Auburn! loveliest village of the plain,

Where health and plenty cheered the labouring swain,

Where smiling spring its earliest visit paid,

And parting summer’s lingering blooms delayed: 

Rhyme Scheme: AABB

Paraphrase:

Sweet Auburn, the most beautiful village on the plain,

Where hardworking farmers enjoyed good health and 

abundance, where spring arrived early with its refreshing 

beauty, and summer took its time before finally leaving.

Difficult Meanings:

Auburn – A fictional name for an idealized village.

Swain – A rustic countryman or farmer.

Labouring swain – A hardworking rural worker.

Cheered – Brought happiness or comfort.

Smiling spring – A metaphor for the pleasant and welcoming

 Nature of the season.

Parting summer – The late part of summer, as it slowly fades away.

Lingering blooms – Flowers that remain for a longer time before 

wilting.

Literary Devices:

Personification:

"Smiling spring" – Spring is given human qualities, as if it smiles and

 visits the village. "Parting summer’s lingering blooms delayed" – 

Summer is described as if it actively delays its departure.

Imagery: The stanza creates a vivid picture of a beautiful, peaceful

 village with natural beauty and abundance.

Alliteration:

"Smiling spring" – Repetition of the ‘S’ sound enhances the musical 

quality of the verse.

Inversion (Anastrophe):

"Where smiling spring its earliest visit paid" – The normal word order

 ("where smiling spring paid its earliest visit") is altered for poetic 

effect.

Stanza 2. 

Dear lovely bowers of innocence and ease,

Seats of my youth, when every sport could please,

How often have I loitered o’er thy green,

Where humble happiness endeared each scene!

How often have I paused on every charm,

Rhyme Scheme: AABBC

Paraphrase:

Oh, dear and beautiful shelters of peace and simplicity,

The places of my childhood, where every game brought joy,

How many times have I wandered across your green fields,

Where simple joys made every sight more special!

How often have I stopped to admire every delightful aspect!

Difficult Meanings:

Bowers – Pleasant, shady places, often associated with nature

 and peace.

Innocence and ease – A state of purity, simplicity, and peace.

Seats of my youth – The places where the speaker spent his 

childhood.

Sport – Games or simple amusements.

Loitered – Wandered slowly and aimlessly.

Humble happiness – Simple, modest joy, often found in rural or

 peaceful life.

Endeared – Made something lovable or emotionally significant.

Paused on every charm – Stopped to admire every beautiful detail.

Literary Devices:

Personification:

"Humble happiness endeared each scene" – Happiness is described

 as if it has the power to make places more lovable.

Imagery:

The stanza vividly describes peaceful, green landscapes and joyful

 childhood moments.

Alliteration:

"Humble happiness" – Repetition of ‘H’ sounds.

Repetition:

"How often" – Emphasizes nostalgia and frequent recollections of the

 past.

Epithet:

An epithet is a literary device that involves using a descriptive phrase or 

adjective to characterize a person, place, or thing. It often highlights a 

key trait or quality. "Lovely bowers" – Descriptive phrase highlighting the 

beauty and peace of the place. "Humble happiness" – Suggests the pure 

and simple joys of rural life.

Stanza 3. 

The sheltered cot, the cultivated farm,

The never-failing brook, the busy mill,

The decent church that topped the neighbouring hill,

The hawthorn bush, with seats beneath the shade,

For talking age and whispering lovers made!

Rhyme Scheme: ABBCC

Paraphrase:

The cozy cottage, the well-tended farm,

The ever-flowing stream, the bustling mill,

The modest church standing tall on the nearby hill,

The hawthorn bush with benches in its shade,

A place for elderly people to talk and young lovers to share secrets.

Difficult Meanings:

Sheltered cot – A small, protected cottage.

Cultivated farm – A farm that is carefully tended and 

well-maintained.

Never-failing brook – A stream that flows continuously without 

drying up.

Busy mill – A mill in constant activity, likely for grinding grain.

Decent church – A respectable and modest church, not extravagant.

Neighbouring hill – A nearby hill where the church is located.

Hawthorn bush – A type of flowering shrub, often found in rural 

landscapes.

Seats beneath the shade – Benches or places to sit under the 

shadow of the tree.

Talking age – Older people who enjoy long conversations.

Whispering lovers – Young couples speaking softly in romantic 

moments.

Literary Devices:

Imagery:

The stanza creates vivid pictures of a peaceful rural setting, 

including cottages, farms, a flowing brook, and a church on a hill.

Personification:

"Never-failing brook" – The brook is given human qualities, as if it

 consciously never fails to flow. "Talking age and whispering

 lovers" – Age (old people) is described as talking, and lovers are 

described as whispering, making the scene more lifelike.

Alliteration:

"Brook the Busy mill" – Repetition of the ‘B’ sound.

"Hawthorn bush with seats beneath the shade" – Repetition of

 the ‘’ B”  and “S” sound.

Symbolism:

The church symbolizes morality and community values.

The hawthorn bush represents social bonding, both for the 

old (wisdom) and young (love).The brook represents the 

continuity and constancy of life.

Stanza 4. 

How often have I blessed the coming day,

When toil remitting lent its turn to play,

And all the village train, from labour free,

Led up their sports beneath the spreading tree,

While many a pastime circled in the shade,

Rhyme Scheme: AABBC

Paraphrase:

How many times have I welcomed the arrival of a new day,

When work was paused, allowing time for play,

And all the villagers, free from their labor,

Gathered to enjoy games under the wide tree,

Where many kinds of pastimes took place in the shade.

Difficult Meanings:

Blessed the coming day – Looked forward to the start of 

a new day with gratitude.

Toil remitting – The temporary relief from hard work.

Lent its turn to play – Allowed time for fun and recreation.

Village train – The group or community of villagers.

From labour free – Having a break from work.

Led up their sports – Engaged in playful activities.

Spreading tree – A large tree providing shade.

Many a pastime – Various games and recreational activities.

Literary Devices:

Imagery:

The stanza paints a lively picture of villagers enjoying their leisure

 time under a large tree.

Personification:

"Toil remitting lent its turn to play" – Work is described as if it 

willingly gives way to play.

Alliteration:

"How often have" – Repetition of the ‘H’ sound.

"And all" – Repetition of the ‘A’ sound.

Assonance:

It is the repetition of vowel sounds in nearby words. 

“remitting lent” Repetition of the ‘E’ sound.

Symbolism:

The spreading tree represents community gathering and unity.

Labour and play contrast the balance between work and leisure

 in rural life.

Repetition:

"How often" – Emphasizes nostalgia and fond memories of the 

past.

Contrast:

"Toil" vs. "play" – Highlights the shift from hard work to joyful 

Recreation. This stanza reflects a nostalgic longing for the simple 

joys of village life, where hard work was balanced with communal 

leisure.

5th stanza.

The young contending as the old surveyed;

And many a gambol frolicked o’er the ground,

And sleights of art and feats of strength went round;

And still, as each repeated pleasure tired,

Succeeding sports the mirthful band inspired;

Rhyme Scheme: ABBCC

Paraphrase:

The young competed with each other while the elders watched,

As playful games and lively activities filled the ground.

Tricks and displays of skill and strength entertained everyone,

And whenever one game became tiring,

New games quickly brought fresh excitement to the joyful group.

Difficult Meanings:

Contending – Competing or striving against each other.

Surveyed – Watched or observed.

Gambol – Playful jumping or running around.

Frolicked – Played in a lively, carefree manner.

Sleights of art – Clever tricks or skillful acts, possibly referring 

to games of dexterity.

Feats of strength – Displays of physical power, like wrestling or 

lifting.

Repeated pleasure tired – When a game becomes less exciting 

after being played for a while.

Succeeding sports – New games that followed.

Mirthful band – A cheerful and lively group of people.

Inspired – Energized or excited.

Literary Devices:

Imagery:

The stanza vividly describes a scene of youthful competition 

and joyful play.

Simile:

The young contending as the old surveyed; “as” is the simile.

Alliteration:

"Succeeding sports" – Repetition of the ‘S’ sound.

Contrast:

"The young contending as the old surveyed" – The energetic 

youth compete while the older generation calmly observes.

Personification:

"Many a gambol frolicked o’er the ground" – Games are 

described as if they are playfully moving on their own.

Symbolism:

Old vs. young – Represents tradition and continuity.

Games and sports – Symbolize the carefree joy of village life.

Repetition:

"And still, as each repeated pleasure tired" – Suggests the 

ongoing cycle of enjoyment, where one game is replaced by

 another.

6th stanza.

The dancing pair that simply sought renown,

By holding out to tire each other down;

The swain mistrustless of his smutted face,

While secret laughter tittered round the place;

The bashful virgin’s side-long looks of love,

Rhyme Scheme: AABBC

Paraphrase:

A dancing couple, eager to gain recognition,

Tried to outlast each other until one gave up from exhaustion.

The unsuspecting young man, unaware of the soot on his face,

While people around him secretly laughed.

The shy young woman cast sideways glances filled with love.

Difficult Meanings:

Sought renown – Tried to gain fame or recognition.

Holding out – Lasting as long as possible, enduring.

Tire each other down – Dancing until one gives up from

 exhaustion.

Swain – A young countryman or lover.

Mistrustless – Unaware, unsuspecting.

Smutted face – A face stained with dirt or soot.

Secret laughter tittered – Quiet, suppressed laughter spread 

around.

Bashful virgin – A shy, modest young woman.

Side-long looks of love – Shy, indirect glances expressing 

affection.

Literary Devices:

Imagery:

Descriptions of dancing, laughter, and shy glances create a

 vivid scene of playful social interaction.

Irony:

"The swain mistrustless of his smutted face" – The young

 man is unaware of the soot on his face, while others secretly

 laugh at him.

Personification:

"Secret laughter tittered round the place" – Laughter is given 

the human ability to move around.

Alliteration:

"simply sought " – Repetition of the ‘S’ sound.

"Side-long looks of love" – Repetition of the ‘L’ sound

 adds to the soft and romantic atmosphere.

Assonance:

“mistrustless of his smutted”repetition of “U” sound.

“long looks of love” repetition of “O” sound.

Symbolism:

The dancing pair represents youthful energy and friendly 

Competition. The bashful virgin symbolizes innocent and 

modest love. The swain with the smutted face represents 

humor in everyday life.

7th stanza.

The matron’s glance that would those looks reprove.

These were thy charms, sweet village! sports like these,

With sweet succession, taught even toil to please;

These round thy bowers their cheerful influence shed,

These were thy charms—but all these charms are fled.

Rhyme Scheme: ABBCC

Paraphrase:

The older woman’s disapproving glance, meant to correct 

those loving looks. These were the delights of your life, 

dear village! Such joyful games, repeatedly coming one 

after another, even made hard work feel pleasant.

These activities spread happiness throughout your peaceful 

retreats. These were your joys—but now, all of them are gone.

Difficult Meanings:

Matron – An older, respectable married woman, often seen 

as a figure of authority.

Reprove – To disapprove or scold.

Thy charms – The village’s pleasant qualities or attractions.

Sweet succession – A continuous series of enjoyable events.

Taught even toil to please – Made work feel enjoyable.

Bowers – Pleasant, shaded places, often in nature.

Cheerful influence shed – Spread happiness and positivity.

All these charms are fled – All these joys and delights are now 

gone.

Literary Devices:

Imagery:

The stanza paints a vivid picture of a once-happy village now 

abandoned or changed.

Contrast:

"These were thy charms—but all these charms are fled" – The past 

joy is compared with the present loss.

Personification:

"These round thy bowers their cheerful influence shed" – The

 village’s charms are described as if they actively spread joy.

Alliteration:

"Sweet succession" – Repetition of the ‘S’ sound, emphasizing 

the continuous joy of village life.

Repetition:

"These were thy charms" – Repeated to stress the contrast 

between past happiness and present emptiness.

Tone:

The stanza starts with a warm and nostalgic tone but shifts to

 a sorrowful one in the final line, emphasizing loss.

8th stanza.

Ill fares the land, to hastening ills a prey,

Where wealth accumulates, and men decay:

Princes and lords may flourish, or may fade;

A breath can make them, as a breath has made;

But a bold peasantry, their country’s pride,

When once destroyed, can never be supplied.

Rhyme Scheme: AABBCC

Paraphrase:

A country suffers greatly and falls into ruin,

When wealth increases, but the people decline.

Rulers and nobles may rise and fall in power,

Their fate is easily changed, just as quickly as 

they were made. But the strong and hardworking 

common people, who are the nation’s true strength,

Once lost, can never be replaced.

Difficult Meanings:

Ill fares the land: The country is in a bad state or suffering.

Hastening ills:  Rapidly approaching misfortunes or troubles.

A prey: A victim of something harmful.

Wealth accumulates, and men decay: The rich become 

richer, but the common people suffer and decline.

Princes and lords: Nobles and rulers of society.

Flourish: To thrive or prosper.

Fade: To decline or disappear.

A breath can make them, as a breath has made: Their power is 

fragile; just as quickly as they rise, they can fall.

Bold peasantry: The hardworking and brave rural working class.

Their country’s pride: The strength and backbone of the nation.

When once destroyed, can never be supplied: If they disappear,

 they cannot be replaced.

Literary Devices:

Personification:

"Ill fares the land" – The country is described as if it is suffering 

like a person. "Where wealth accumulates, and men decay" – 

Wealth is described as something that grows, while people

 are described as withering away.

Antithesis (Contrast):

"Wealth accumulates, and men decay" – Wealth increases 

while the people decline, highlighting social inequality.

"Princes and lords may flourish, or may fade" – The rise

 and fall of the powerful is contrasted.

Metaphor:

"A breath can make them, as a breath has made" 

– Power is compared to a fragile breath, showing how easily

 it can change.

Alliteration:

"When wealth" – Repetition of the ‘W’ sound.

Symbolism:

Wealth vs. men – Represents economic inequality.

Princes and lords – Symbolize the ruling elite.

Peasantry – Represents the foundation of a strong and 

prosperous nation.

Tone:

The tone is warning and lamenting, highlighting the dangers 

of economic inequality and the loss of the working class. 

This stanza is a powerful social critique, arguing that a country

 cannot survive when the rich get richer while the hardworking 

people, who truly sustain the nation, are lost.