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.

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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

53 sec read
118

Quick analysis:

Scheme AABBCCDDDDEECCFFGG
Closest metre Iambic hexameter
Characters 913
Words 171
Stanzas 1
Stanza Lengths 18

Wilfrid Scawen Blunt

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

All Wilfrid Scawen Blunt poems | Wilfrid Scawen Blunt Books

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