Classic and Contemporary Poetry
TO THE SWALLOW, by ANACREON Poet's Biography First Line: Dear bird, thy tunes and sportings here Last Line: They give my soul no rest. Alternate Author Name(s): Anakreon; Anacreontea Subject(s): Swallows | ||||||||
I DEAR Bird, thy tunes and sportings here, Delight us all the day; Who dwell'st amongst us half the year, And then art forc'd away. II Thou canst not Winter's fury bear, But, cross the Southern Main, To warmer Afric dost repair, Till Spring return again. III But, ah! no force of storm, or art, Drives Cupid from my breast, He took possession of my heart, And in it built his nest. IV This Bird there hatches all his young, Where each by instinct led, Learns of its sire his tricks and song, With shell upon its head. V And ere these Loves have plum'd their wings, They multiply apace, For as one plays, or cries, or sings, It propagates its race. VI Now their confusion's grown so loud It cannot be exprest: I've such disturbance with the crowd, They give my soul no rest. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...SIXTH-MONTH SONG IN THE FOOTHILLS by GARY SNYDER SWALLOW FLIGHT by SARA TEASDALE EACH SUMMER'S SWALLOWS by JOHN UPDIKE THE DEPARTURE OF THE SWALLOW by WILLIAM HOWITT THE BLUE SWALLOWS by HOWARD NEMEROV THE CLIFF SWALLOWS by DEBRA NYSTROM |
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