Classic and Contemporary Poetry
THE FAIRY BOY, by JAMES STEPHENS Poet's Biography First Line: A little fairy in a tree Last Line: And love that little wrinkled boy. Subject(s): Fairies; Elves | ||||||||
A little Fairy in a tree Wrinkled his wee face at me; And he sang a song of joy All about a little boy, Who upon a winter night, On a midnight long ago, Had been rapt away from sight Of the world and all its woe; Rapt away, Snapt away, To a place where children play In the sunlight all the day. Where the winter is forbidden, Where no child may older grow, Where a flower is never hidden Underneath a pall of snow; Dancing gaily, Free from sorrow, Under dancing summer skies, Where no grim mysterious morrow Ever comes to terrorize. This I told a priest and he Spoke a word of mystery; And with candle, book and bell, Tolling Latin like a knell, Ruthlessly, From the tree, Sprinkling holy water round, He drove the Fairy down to hell, There in torment to be bound. So the tree is withered and There is sorrow on the land: But the devils milder grow Dancing gay Every day In that kinder land below: There the devils dance for joy And love that little wrinkled boy. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...THE FAERY FOREST by SARA TEASDALE THE LAND OF HEART'S DESIRE by WILLIAM BUTLER YEATS THE FAIRIES by WILLIAM ALLINGHAM THE FAIRY CHILD by JOHN ANSTER THE FORSAKEN MERMAN by MATTHEW ARNOLD THE LITTLE ELF-MAN by JOHN KENDRICK BANGS TAM O' SHANTER by ROBERT BURNS A BOOK OF AIRS: SONG 19. THE FAIRY QUEEN PROSERPINA by THOMAS CAMPION A PROPER NEW BALLAD [ENTITLED THE FAIRIES' FAREWELL] by RICHARD CORBET |
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