Analysis of A Cuckoo Song

Wilfrid Scawen Blunt 1840 (Petworth House) – 1922 (United Kingdom)



Crowns are for kings to wear, sad crowns of gold
Over tired heads that ache, world--cares untold.
Not on thy happy brows, sweet bird of summer,
Set we such crowns to--day, thou Spring's new--comer.
Take from us, rather, thou these our wild posies.
April's and May's we bring, June's with its roses.
Nay and love's Cuckoo flowers, O child of glory!
Cuckoos thine own birds are; these be thy dowry.
Eve of our heart's shut field, need is we grieve thee,
Gone to a world more sweet where we must leave thee.
Russet--clad nightingales, tired of our chaunting,
Out in the dark we weep, our Queen--bird wanting.
Such is the fate of birds. Soon as the Spring comes
Vagrant they flit and fly. Lo! 'tis their King comes.
Endeth our night plaint only when, through the wild wood,
New born the day trips in, laughs as a child would.
O, then we too will laugh, join in the gay chime,
Run to thy marriage bells, birds of the day--time.


Scheme AABBCCDDDDEECCFFGG
Poetic Form
Metre 1111111111 10101111101 11110111110 11111111110 11110111011 10011111110 10111011110 10111111110 111011111111 11011111111 1011101101 100111101110 11011111011 10110111111 110111011011 11011011011 11111110011 11110111011
Closest metre Iambic hexameter
Characters 913
Words 171
Sentences 15
Stanzas 1
Stanza Lengths 18
Lines Amount 18
Letters per line (avg) 39
Words per line (avg) 9
Letters per stanza (avg) 699
Words per stanza (avg) 169
Font size:
 

Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

53 sec read
118

Wilfrid Scawen Blunt

Wilfrid Scawen Blunt was an English poet and writer. more…

All Wilfrid Scawen Blunt poems | Wilfrid Scawen Blunt Books

0 fans

Discuss this Wilfrid Scawen Blunt poem analysis with the community:

0 Comments

    Citation

    Use the citation below to add this poem analysis to your bibliography:

    Style:MLAChicagoAPA

    "A Cuckoo Song" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 27 Apr. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/38573/a-cuckoo-song>.

    Become a member!

    Join our community of poets and poetry lovers to share your work and offer feedback and encouragement to writers all over the world!

    April 2024

    Poetry Contest

    Join our monthly contest for an opportunity to win cash prizes and attain global acclaim for your talent.
    3
    days
    11
    hours
    6
    minutes

    Special Program

    Earn Rewards!

    Unlock exciting rewards such as a free mug and free contest pass by commenting on fellow members' poems today!

    Browse Poetry.com

    Quiz

    Are you a poetry master?

    »
    Who wrote the poem "Still I Rise"?
    A Elizabeth Barrett Browning
    B Maya Angelou
    C Robert Burns
    D Dylan Thomas