Forest Lovers by Marie Van Vorst

Name: Forest Lovers
Author: Marie Van Vorst

“Forest Lovers” imagines two lovers building a secluded woodland home from poplar, birch, balsam, cedar, hemlock, ferns, and pine. Surrounded by waves, shy native creatures, rustling trees, birds, and stars, they sleep together peacefully in the deep forest. Their union is portrayed as sacred and innocent: the forest bed becomes holy, its wild scents rise like incense, and Love renews their vows. At dawn they wake still joined in love, as pure as forest-born beings, while falling dew and the murmurs of the trees seem to accompany their marriage hymn.

By Marie Van Vorst · First published 1904 · Genre: Lyric Poetry, Love Poetry, Nature Poetry · 326 words

First lines

Of poplar, birch, and balsam boughs, / Red cedar-walled, I'll build my house; / Its pillars silver-boled shall be, / With rafters of the hemlock tree; / Upon the ground the dried ferns spread, / And slippery pine shall make our bed;

And all night long the lapping sound / Of waves shall fill our faerie swound; / Nor native creatures, small and shy, / Shall fright us, as they hurry by, / Nor phantom rustle of the trees / Disturb our loving mysteries.

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Forest Lovers is listed on Textopian as a poem by Marie Van Vorst, dated 1904 CE.

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Work type: Poem
Author: Marie Van Vorst
Date: 1904 CE
Language: English
Genres: Lyric Poetry, Love Poetry, Nature Poetry, Romantic Poetry, Pastoral Poetry
Length: 326 words
Structure: 1 section, 6 paragraphs
Reading fit: Fairly Difficult (10th-12th Grade)

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Genres

Lyric Poetry — The work is a short, highly musical poem focused on concentrated emotion, imagery, and intimate personal expression rather than narrative action.
Love Poetry — Its central subject is the lovers' imagined union, expressed through sensual closeness, vows, sleep, awakening, and a marriage-like spiritual bond.
Nature Poetry — Forest trees, birds, waves, ferns, animals, dawn, dew, and stars create the poem's primary setting and symbolic language.
Romantic Poetry — The poem idealizes love, wilderness, imagination, emotional intensity, and the spiritualizing power of the natural world.