Sonnet - Gates Sweeney

Spring

Thomas Caulfield Irwin

Blow, summer wind, from yonder ocean blow

Along the wild sea banks and grasses drear,

And loamy shores, where mosses brown and sere

And pale pinks in the sandy ridges grow;

Float round yon promontory in the brine,

Whose stretching arm in deepest azure lies,

Where quiet browse the heavy-uddered kine

By rock and shining shallow, grey and clear;

And fill, this listless hour, the dreamy ear

With thy scarce toned and wordless harmonies:

For here with Nature will I rest, and please

My heart with sweetest fancies all the noon,

Until the limpid crescent of the moon

Lights the blue east above the evening trees.

Rhyme Scheme: A B B A C D C B B E E F F E

Thomas Irwin started writing as a journalist out of Dublin in 1848. He then moved on to write at least one novel and several volumes of poetry. This sonnet, "Spring," encompasses all of the little characteristics of spring. There doesn't seem to be a clear fit for the form of the sonnet, mostly due to its skewed rhyme scheme, but the volta is identifiable. In line 10, the word "I" is introduced for the first time. This signifies a transition from the descriptive beginning to the plans that Irwin has made to rest during this beautiful season, spring. He encourages the lector to enjoy the nature around them while they rest.