The Resplendent Quetzal-Bird

Padraic Colum 1881 (County Longford) – 1972 (Enfield)



OTHERS have divers paints and enamels,
Lavish and bright on breast and wing feathers:
You, Guatemalan, have sunken all colours
Into glory of greenness!

There may be palms as greenly resplendent,
Palms by the Fountain of Youth in Anahuac
Such greens there may be on sea-sunken bronzes
The Gates of Callao!

There may be words in rituals spoken
To Quetzalcoatl who makes verdure through rain-flow
Words like the gash made by knives of obsidian
To tell of such greenness!

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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 14, 2023

24 sec read
398

Quick analysis:

Scheme AXAB XXXC DCDB
Closest metre Iambic pentameter
Characters 464
Words 81
Stanzas 3
Stanza Lengths 4, 4, 4

Padraic Colum

Padraic Colum was an Irish poet, novelist, dramatist, biographer, playwright, children's author and collector of folklore. more…

All Padraic Colum poems | Padraic Colum Books

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