Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, CHANGELING, by CHARLOTTE MEW


Poetry Explorer

Classic and Contemporary Poetry

CHANGELING, by             Poem Explanation     Poet Analysis     Poet's Biography
First Line: Toll no bell for me, dear father, dear mother
Subject(s): Fairies


Toll no bell for me, dear Father, dear Mother,
Toll no bell for me, dear Father dear Mother,
Waste no sighs;
Waste no sighs;
There are my sisters, there is my little brother
There are my sisters, there is my little brother
Who plays in the place called Paradise,
Who plays in the place called Paradise,
Your children all, your children for ever;
Your children all, your children for ever;
But I, so wild,
But I, so wild,
Your disgrace, with the queer brown face, was never,
Your disgrace, with the queer brown face, was never,
Never, I know, but half your child!
Never, I know, but half your child!
In the garden at play, all day, last summer,


Far and away I heard
The sweet "tweet-tweet" of a strange new-comer,
In the garden at play, all day, last summer,
Far and away I heard
The dearest, clearest call of a bird.
It lived down there in the deep green hollow,
The sweet "tweet-tweet" of a strange new-comer,
My own old home, and the fairies say
The dearest, clearest call of a bird.
It lived down there in the deep green hollow,
The word of a bird is a thing to follow,
My own old home, and the fairies say
So I was away a night and a day.
The word of a bird is a thing to follow,
One evening, too, by the nursery fire,
We snuggled close and sat round so still,
So I was away a night and a day.

When suddenly as the wind blew higher,

Something scratched on the window-sill,
One evening, too, by the nursery fire,
A pinched brown face peered in-I shivered;
No one listened or seemed to see;
We snuggled close and sat round so still,
The arms of it waved and the wings of it quivered,
When suddenly as the wind blew higher,
Whoo-I knew it had come for me!
Something scratched on the window-sill,
A pinched brown face peered in--I shivered;
Some are as bad as bad can be!
No one listened or seemed to see;
All night long they danced in the rain,
The arms of it waved and the wings of it quivered,
Round and round in a dripping chain,
Whoo--I knew it had come for me!
Threw their caps at the window-pane,
Some are as bad as bad can be!
Tried to make me scream and shout
And fling the bedclothes all about:
All night long they danced in the rain,
I meant to stay in bed that night,
Round and round in a dripping chain,
And if only you had left a light
Threw their caps at the window-pane,
Tried to make me scream and shout
They would never have got me out!
And fling the bedclothes all about:
Sometimes I wouldn't speak, you see,
I meant to stay in bed that night,
Or answer when you spoke to me,
And if only you had left a light
Because in the long, still dusks of Spring
They would never have got me out!
You can hear the whole world whispering;
The shy green grasses making love,


The feathers grow on the dear grey dove,
Sometimes I wouldn't speak, you see,
The tiny heart of the redstart beat,
Or answer when you spoke to me,
The patter of the squirrel's feet,

Because in the long, still dusks of Spring
You can hear the whole world whispering;

The shy green grasses making love,
The pebbles pushing in the silver streams,
The feathers grow on the dear grey dove,
The rushes talking in their dreams,
The swish-swish of the bat's black wings,
The tiny heart of the redstart beat,
The wild-wood bluebell's sweet ting-tings,
The patter of the squirrel's feet,
The pebbles pushing in the silver streams,
Humming and hammering at your ear,
The rushes talking in their dreams,
Everything there is to hear
The swish-swish of the bat's black wings,
In the heart of hidden things.
The wild-wood bluebell's sweet ting-tings,
But not in the midst of the nursery riot,
Humming and hammering at your ear,
That's why I wanted to be quiet,
Everything there is to hear
Couldn't do my sums, or sing,
In the heart of hidden things.
Or settle down to anything.
And when, for that, I was sent upstairs
But not in the midst of the nursery riot,
I did kneel down to say my prayers;
That's why I wanted to be quiet,
Couldn't do my sums, or sing,
But the King who sits on your high church steeple
Or settle down to anything.
Has nothing to do with us fairy people!
And when, for that, I was sent upstairs
'Times I pleased you, dear Father, dear Mother,
Learned all my lessons and liked to play,
I did kneel down to say my prayers;
But the King who sits on your high church steeple
And dearly I loved the little pale brother
Whom some other bird must have called away.
Has nothing to do with us fairy people!
Why did they bring me here to make me


Not quite bad and not quite good,
Why, unless They're wicked, do They want, in spite, to take me
'Times I pleased you, dear Father, dear Mother,
Back to Their wet, wild wood?
Learned all my lessons and liked to play,
And dearly I loved the little pale brother
Now, every night I shall see the windows shining,
The gold lamp's glow, and the fire's red gleam,
Whom some other bird must have called away.
While the best of us are twining twigs and the rest of us are whining
Why did they bring me here to make me
Not quite bad and not quite good,
In the hollow by the stream.
Why, unless They're wicked, do They want, in spite,
Black and chill are Their nights on the wold;
And They live so long and They feel no pain:
to take me
I shall grow up, but never grow old,
Back to Their wet, wild wood?
I shall always, always be very cold,
Now, every nithing I shall see the windows shining,
I shall never come back again!
The gold lamp's glow, and the fire's red gleam,

While the best of us are twining twigs and the rest of us

are whining
In the hollow by the stream.
Black and chill are Their nights on the wold;
And They live so long and They feel no pain:
I shall grow up, but never grow old,
I shall always, always be very cold,
I shall never come back again!






Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!


Other Poems of Interest...
Home: PoetryExplorer.net