HOW beautiful the tree shadows lie on The paler green o' the grasses! October wind stirs them a little and passes, Cloud-shadows sail above them and are gone. The trees are like a golden fountain's spray, Like golden waters raining. When the October skies and ways are waning, The trees alone have the heart to be gay. Yet there's a blue sky, and the sun is gold, A gold tree and a bird in it, A Jenny Wren or a belated linnet, Singing away though all the nests are cold. The tree upon the grass has a bird's shadow, As the live tree its bird, Shadow and substance joyfully praise the Lord As well as when the world was all a meadow. And when the living tree rocks at its pleasure Its bird in frolic glee, The shadow-bird within the shadow-tree, Dances upon the grass to the same measure. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...DOMESDAY BOOK: LILLI ALM by EDGAR LEE MASTERS WHY DON'T THE MEN PROPOSE? by THOMAS HAYNES BAYLY WHATEVER IS, IS RIGHT by SAMUEL LAMAN BLANCHARD HEBREW MELODY by MRS. JAMES GORDEN BROOKS THE STREAMS by FRANCES BROWN (1816-1864) CARMINA: 69: TO RUFUS by GAIUS VALERIUS CATULLUS |