Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, AN INVITATION TO THE FEATHERED RACE, by RICHARD GRAVES


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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

AN INVITATION TO THE FEATHERED RACE, by                    
First Line: Again the balmy zephyr blows
Last Line: Your songs be my reward.
Subject(s): Birds


Again the balmy Zephyr blows,
Fresh verdure decks the grove,
Each bird with vernal rapture glows,
And tunes his notes to love.

Ye gentle warblers, hither fly,
And shun the noon-tide heat;
My shrubs a cooling shade supply,
My groves a safe retreat.

Here freely hop from spray to spray,
Or weave the mossy nest;
Here rove and sing the livelong day,
At night here sweetly rest.

Amidst this cool translucent rill,
That trickles down the glade,
Here bathe your plumes, here drink your fill,
And revel in the shade.

No school-boy rude, to mischief prone,
E'er shows his ruddy face,
Or twangs his bow, or hurls a stone,
In this sequestered place.

Hither the vocal Thrush repairs,
Secure the Linnet sings,
The Goldfinch dreads no slimy snares
To clog her painted wings.

Sad Philomel! ah, quit thy haunt
Yon distant woods among,
And round my friendly grotto chaunt
Thy sweetly-plaintive song.

Let not the harmless Redbreast fear,
Domestic bird, to come
And seek a sure asylum here,
With one that loves his home.

My trees for you, ye artless tribe,
Shall store of fruit preserve;
O let me thus your friendship bribe!
Come, feed without reserve.

For you these cherries I protect,
To you these plums belong;
Sweet is the fruit that you have picked,
But sweeter far your song.

Let then this league betwixt us made
Our mutual interests guard,
Mine be the gift of fruit and shade,
Your songs be my reward.





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