The Titmouse

Walter de la Mare 1873 (Charlton, London) – 1956 (Twickenham)



If you would happy company win,
Dangle a palm-nut from a tree,
Idly in green to sway and spin,
Its snow-pulped kernel for bait; and see,
A nimble titmouse enter in.

Out of earth's vast unknown of air,
Out of all summer, from wave to wave,
He'll perch, and prank his feathers fair,
Jangle a glass-clear wildering stave,
And take his commons there —

This tiny son of life; this spright,
By momentary Human sought,
Plume will his wing in the dappling light,
Clash timbrel shrill and gay —
And into time's enormous nought,
Sweet-fed, will flit away.

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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

30 sec read
176

Quick analysis:

Scheme ABABA CDCDC EEEFEF
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 542
Words 100
Stanzas 3
Stanza Lengths 5, 5, 6

Walter de la Mare

Walter John de la Mare was an English poet short story writer and novelist best remembered for his works for children and The Listeners He was born in Kent and was educated at St Pauls Cathedral School His first book Songs of Childhood was published under the name Walter Ramal His 1921 novel Memoirs of a Midget won the James Tait Black Memorial Prize for fiction more…

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