Classic and Contemporary Poetry
THE GRATEFUL SWAN, by ALICE CARY Poet Analysis Poet's Biography First Line: One day, a poor peddler Last Line: "nor I!"" said his wife." Subject(s): Birds; Swans | ||||||||
ONE day, a poor peddler, Who carried a pack, Felt something come Flippity-flop on his back. He looked east and west, He turned white, he turned red, Then bent his back lower, And traveled ahead. The sun was gone down When he entered his door, And loosened the straps From his shoulders once more. Then up sprang his wife, Crying, "Bless your heart, John, Here, sitting atop of your pack, Is a swan. "A wing like a lily, A beak like a rose; Now good luck go with her Wherever she goes!" "Dear me!" cried the peddler, "What fullness of crop! No wonder I felt her Come flippity-flop! "I'll bet you, good wife, All the weight of my pack, I've carried that bird For ten miles on my back!" "Perhaps," the wife answered, "She'll lay a gold egg To pay you; but, bless me! She's broken a leg." Then went to the cupboard, And brought from the shelf A part of the supper She'd meant for herself. Of course two such nurses Effected a cure; One leg stiff, but better Than none, to be sure! "No wonder," says John, As she stood there a-lop, "That I should have felt her Come flippity-flop!" Then straight to his pack For a bandage he ran, While Jannet, the good wife, To splints broke her fan; And, thinking no longer About the gold egg, All tenderly held her And bound up the leg; All summer they lived Thus together -- the swan, And peddler and peddler's wife Jannet and John. At length, when the leaves In the garden grew brown, The bird came one day With her head hanging down; And told her kind master And mistress so dear, She was going to leave them Perhaps for a year. "What mean you?" cried Jannet, "What mean you?" cried John. "You will see, if I ever Come back," said the swan. And so, with the tears Rolling down, drip-a-drop, She lifted her snowy wings, Flippity-flop! And sailed away, stretching Her legs and her neck, Till all they could see Was a little white speck. Then Jannet said, turning Her eyes upon John, But speaking, no doubt, Of the bird that was gone: "A wing like a lily, A beak like a rose; And good luck go with her Wherever she goes!" The winter was weary, But vanished at last, As all winters will do; And when it was past, And doffies beginning To show their bright heads, One day as our Jannet Was making the beds -- The beds in the garden, I'd have you to know, She saw in the distance A speck white as snow. She saw it sail nearer And nearer, then stop And land in her garden path, Flippity-flop! One moment of wonder, Then cried she, "O John! As true as you're living, man, Here is our swan! "And by her sleek feathers, She comes from the south; But what thing is this Shining so in her mouth?" "A diamond!" cried Johnny; The swan nearer drew, And dropped it in Jannet's Nice apron of blue; Then held up the mended leg Quite to her crop, And danced her great wings About, flippity-flop! "I never beheld such a bird In my life!" Cried Johnny, the peddler; "Nor I!" said his wife. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...LOVE THE WILD SWAN by ROBINSON JEFFERS FLIGHT OF SWANS by ROBINSON JEFFERS TO A WILD SWAN by HENRY MEADE BLAND A STRAW SWAN UNDER THE CHRISTMAS TREE by DENISE LEVERTOV LEDA RECONSIDERED by MONA VAN DUYN A SPINSTER'S STINT by ALICE CARY |
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