Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, ARBUTUS DAYS, by JOHN BURROUGHS


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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

ARBUTUS DAYS, by                 Poet Analysis     Poet's Biography
First Line: Days! Days! Arbutus days!
Last Line: I feel the breath of may.
Subject(s): Arbutus; Spring; Mayflowers


Days! days! arbutus days!
They come from heaven on high;
They wrap the world in brooding haze,
They marry earth and sky.

What lures me onward o'er the hills,
Or down the beaten trail?
Vague murmuring all the valley fills,
And yonder calls the quail.

Like mother bird upon her nest
The day broods o'er the earth;
Fresh hope and life fill every breast;
I share the spring's new birth.

Awake! arise! and April wise
Seek out a forest side,
Where under wreaths of withered leaves
The shy sweet flowers hide.

I hear the hum of red-ruff's drum,
And hark! the thrasher sings;
His russet form's against the sky,
And bold his murmurings.

Upon my soul, he calls the roll
Of all the birds o' the year --
"Veery!" "Cheewink!" "Oriole!" "Bobolink!"
"Make haste!" "The spring is here."

Now pause and mark the meadowlark
Send forth his call to spring;
"Why don't you hear? 'Tis spring o' the year!" --
Like dart from sounding string.

Ah! the golden shaft, 'twas he that laughed
And lifted up his bill;
"Wick, wick; wick, wick;" "Wake up, be quick;"
The ant is on her hill.

The bloodroot's face with saintly grace
Stars all the unkempt way,
Upon the rocks in merry flocks
Dicentra dances gay.

The hemlock trees hum in the breeze,
The swallow's on the wing;
In forest aisles are genial smiles,
To greet thy burgeoning.

Again the sun is over all,
Again the robin's evening call
Or early morning lay,
I hear the stir about the farms,
I see the earth with open arms,
I feel the breath of May.





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