The Water-Lily
A lonely young wife
In her dreaming discerns
A lily-decked pool
With a border of ferns,
And a beautiful child,
With butterfly wings,
Trips down to the edge of the water and sings
“Come, mamma! come!
Step out on the leaves of the water-lily!”
And the lonely young wife,
Her heart beating wild,
Cries, “Wait till I come,
Till I reach you, my child!”
But the beautiful child
With butterfly wings
Steps out on the leaves of the lily and sings:
“Come, mamma! come!
Quick! follow me!
And step on the leaves of the water-lily!”
And the wife in her dreaming
Steps out on the stream,
But the lily leaves sink
And she wakes from her dream
Ah, the waking is sad,
For the tears that it brings,
And she knows ’tis her dead baby’s spirit that sings:
“Come mamma! come!
Quick! follow me!
Step out on the leaves of the water-lily!”
What are your thoughts on this poem?
What is one technique that Henry Lawson used to capture the reader?
4 Comments on “The Water-Lily by Australian poet Henry Lawson (19th century Australia)”
This poem gave me the chills. It pulls or draws you into a vortex that you feel compelled to follow
Thanks Patricia for your comment. I agree that there is a hypnotic quality to this poem. What technique is used to draw you in? Kaye
Lovely narrative poem.
Love the dreamy dialogue and imagry of the lilly pads that look solid on the surface, but won’t hold when one steps on them.
Thanks for the comment, Ellen. Interesting about the lily pads. They are symbolic of life’s journey – so many illusions, so many wrong turns and captivating situations that lure us in. k.