Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, ON THE GRASSHOPPER, by ANACREON



Poetry Explorer

Classic and Contemporary Poetry

ON THE GRASSHOPPER, by                     Poet's Biography
First Line: Happy songster, perched above
Last Line: Godlike in its kind as thou?
Alternate Author Name(s): Anakreon; Anacreontea
Subject(s): Grasshoppers


HAPPY songster, perched above,
On the summit of the grove,
Whom a dewdrop cheers to sing
With the freedom of a king!
From thy perch survey the fields
Where prolific nature yields
Nought that, willingly as she,
Man surrenders not to thee.
For hostility or hate
None thy pleasures can create.
Thee it satisfies to sing
Sweetly the return of spring,
Herald of the genial hours,
Harming neither herbs nor flowers.
Therefore man thy voice attends
Gladly,--thou and he are friends,
Nor thy never-ceasing strains
Phoebus or the Muse disdains
As too simple or too long,
For themselves inspire the song.
Earth-born, bloodless, undecaying,
Ever singing, sporting, playing,
What has nature else to show
Godlike in its kind as thou?





Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!


Other Poems of Interest...



Home: PoetryExplorer.net