The Poem by Amy Lowell

 "The Poem" by Amy Lowell.

​It is only a little twig

With a green bud at the end;

But if you plant it,

And water it,

And set it where the sun will be above it,

It will grow into a tall bush

With many flowers,

And leaves which thrust hither and thither

Sparkling.

From its roots will come freshness,

And beneath it the grass-blades

Will bend and recover themselves,

And clash one upon another

In the blowing wind.

​But if you take my twig

And throw it into a closet

With mousetraps and blunted tools,

It will shrivel and waste.

And, some day,

When you open the door,

You will think it an old twisted nail,

And sweep it into the dust bin

With other rubbish.

​— Amy Lowell

The Poem by Amy Lowell Paraphrasing:

​Stanza 1.

It is only a little twig    A

With a green bud at the end;    B

But if you plant it,     C

And water it,    C

And set it where the sun will be above it,    C

It will grow into a tall bush    D

With many flowers,    E

And leaves which thrust hither and thither   

Sparkling.      F

Rhyme Scheme: ABCCCDEF

Paraphrasing:

This is merely a small branch. It has a tiny green bud on its tip. If

you grow it, and give water to it. After that place it where the sunlight

can reach. It will become a large plant, filled with beautiful flowers.

 Its leaves will spread everywhere, gleaming in the light.  

Stanza 2.

From its roots will come freshness,     A

And beneath it the grass-blades       B

Will bend and recover themselves,     C

And clash one upon another       D

In the blowing wind.      E

Rhyme Scheme: ABCDE

Paraphrasing:

Its roots will bring life and freshness. the underneath of it there will be

 twisted grass, finding their way to grow. They will brush against

each other in the moving breeze.

Stanza 3.

​But if you take my twig    A

And throw it into a closet      B

With mousetraps and blunted tools,    C

It will shrivel and waste.     D

Rhyme Scheme: ABCD

Paraphrasing:

But if you get my little shoot, and hide it in the cupboard, among 

old traps and old equipment. It will dry up and fade away.

Stanza 4.

And, some day,   A

When you open the door,    B

You will think it an old twisted nail,     C

And sweep it into the dust bin      D

With other rubbish.     E

Rhyme Scheme: ABCDE

Paraphrasing:

And one day, when you open that cupboard. You will see that 

the plant would be turn into curved nail. You will throw it into the

garbage along the other discarded things.

Central Idea:

The poem highlights the importance of care, opportunity, and proper

environment for growth. It shows that lack of care can prevent something

valuable from reaching its full potential.

Summary:

The poem describes a tiny twig with a green bud that can grow into a

beautiful plant with flowers and leaves when it is cared for properly.

 However, if it is ignored and kept in a dark place, it will wither 

away and be thrown away as useless.