To the Nile

" Son of the old moon - mountains African "

Poet praises the gloriousness of the river Nile through personifying it. River Nile origin from the moon mountains located in Africa. Due to the fertility and prosperity the river had given Nile is celebrated as a holy creature by the African people.

"Chief of the pyramids and crocodiles"

River Nile is considered as the chief of the pyramids. Old Egyptians built pyramids as toms of their kings and queens . They transported the large stone bricks through the river Nile. Also river Nile is famous for for the place of abundance for the world's largest crocodiles.

" We call thee fruitful , and that very while,

A desert fills our seeing's inward span"

Poet depicts his confusion towards the Fruitfulness of the river Nile , flows through Sudan ang Egypt , A huge desert area. If Nile is so fruitful, how can the desert exist? Poet contrasts between fruitfulness and barrenness of river Nile.

"Nurse of swart nations since the world began "

Swart nations is referred to African people. River Nile is the provider of fertility, food and life for the African people. From history to future Nile fertilizes Africa and Africans.

"Art thou so fruitful? Or dost thou beguile

Such men to honor thee, who , worn with toil,

Rest for a space twixt Cairo and Decan "

Poet again questions the fruitfulness of river Nile. He doubts the respect of people towards Nile is real or not? Do they respect Nile because of the mythological respect to river Nile? Or have they experience a real comfort or fruitfulness? The Africans live from Decan to Cairo. The ones who are work hard with toil to survive. Do they really respect Nile? Does Nile can really console people who are suffering inside the pit of the grievances?

"O may dark fancies err! They surely do ;

Tis ignorance that makes a barren waste

Of all beyond itself"

A sudden change of the poet's perspective can be seen here. Poet describes his doubts about river Nile as erroneous. All myths and gods are far beyond his level of understanding Doubts are useless or barren because they can convey one's ignorance rather than wisdom.

"Thou dost bedew

Green rushes like our rivers, and dost taste

The pleasant sun rise , green isles hast thou too,

And to the sea as happily dost haste"

• In the last lines in the can be seen a a praise on river Nile. Poet doesn't care whether river Nile is fruitful or not , but praises the glamorousness it adds to the environment. As other rivers ,poet raises the picturesque scene Painted by Nile. The green ripples it creates among greenish islands and flowing happily to the sea is admired by the poet rather than accusing Nile for not making the deserts into green lands.

• Literary Techniques

  • personification

  • personification / hyperbole

  • metaphor

  • Alliteration

  • Consonance

  • Rhetorical questions