Classic and Contemporary Poetry
TO A CHILD, THE DAUGHTER OF A FRIEND, by JOHN GARDINER CALKINS BRAINARD Poet's Biography First Line: I pray thee by thy mother's face Last Line: As holy be thy song. Subject(s): Children; Childhood | ||||||||
I PRAY thee by thy mother's face, And by her look, and by her eye, By every decent matron grace That hovered round the resting-place Where thy young head did lie; And by the voice that soothed thine ear, The hymn, the smile, the sigh, the tear That matched thy changeful mood; By every prayer thy mother taught -- By every blessing that she sought, I pray thee to be good. Is not the nestling, when it wakes Its eye upon the wood around, And on its new fledged pinions takes Its taste of leaves and boughs and brakes-- Of motion, sight, and sound-- Is it not like the parent? Then Be like thy mother, child, and when Thy wing is bold and strong, As pure and steady be thy light-- As high and heavenly be thy flight As holy be thy song. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...THE THREE CHILDREN by JOSEPHINE JACOBSEN CHILDREN SELECTING BOOKS IN A LIBRARY by RANDALL JARRELL COME TO THE STONE ... by RANDALL JARRELL THE LOST WORLD by RANDALL JARRELL A SICK CHILD by RANDALL JARRELL CONTINENT'S END by ROBINSON JEFFERS ON THE DEATH OF FRIENDS IN CHILDHOOD by DONALD JUSTICE THE POET AT SEVEN by DONALD JUSTICE TO A FRIEND by JOHN GARDINER CALKINS BRAINARD |
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