Classic and Contemporary Poetry
THE CHIMNEY NEST, by MARY BARKER (CARTER) DODGE Poet's Biography First Line: A dainty, delicate swallow-feather Last Line: Or not the whole I may understand. Subject(s): Birds' Nests; Nature; Spring | ||||||||
A DAINTY, delicate swallow-feather Is all that we now in the chimney trace Of something that days and days together With twittering bird-notes filled the place. Where are you flying now, swallow, swallow? Where are you waking the spaces blue? How many little ones follow, follow, Whose wings to strength in the chimney grew? Deep and narrow, and dark and lonely, The sooty place that you nested in; Over you one blue glimmer only, -- Say, were there many to make the din? This is certain, that somewhere or other Up in the chimney is loosely hung A queer-shaped nest, where a patient mother Brooded a brood of tender young. That here, as in many deserted places, Brimming with life for hours and hours, We miss with the hum a thousand graces, Valued the more since no more ours. Ah! why do we shut our eyes half blindly, And close our hearts to some wee things near, Till he who granted them kindly, kindly Gathers them back, that we see and hear, And know, by loss of the same grown dearer, Nought is so small of his works and ways, But, holding it tenderly when 't was nearer, Has added a joy to our vanished days? So, little, delicate swallow-feather, Fashioned with care by the Master's hand, I'll hold you close for your message, whether Or not the whole I may understand. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...SPRING LEMONADE by TONY HOAGLAND A SPRING SONG by LYMAN WHITNEY ALLEN SPRING'S RETURN by GEORGE LAWRENCE ANDREWS ODE TO SPRING by ANNA LETITIA BARBAULD ODE TO SPRING by ANNA LETITIA BARBAULD SPRING FLOODS by MAURICE BARING SPRING IN WINTER by CHARLOTTE FISKE BATES SPRING ON THE PRAIRIE by HERBERT BATES THE FARMER'S BOY: SPRING by ROBERT BLOOMFIELD |
|