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Where snowdrifts are deepest he frolics along,
A flicker of crimson, a chirrup of song,
My cardinal bird of the frost-powdered wing,
Composing new lyrics to whistle in Spring.
A plump little prelate, the park is his church;
The pulpit he loves is a cliff-sheltered birch;
And there, in his rubicund livery dressed,
Arranging his feathers and ruffling his crest.
He preaches, with most unconventional glee,
A sermon addressed to the squirrels and me,
Commending the wisdom of those that display
The brightest of colors when heavens are gray.
( Arthur Guiterman )
Arthur Guiterman (1871-1943 ) is an American poet. His home is in New York City, where he was graduated from the College of the City of New York. For a time he was an editorial writer for the Literary Digest, and lecturer on magazine and newspaper verse at the School of Journalism of New York University. He is the author of Laughing Muse, a volume of poems,from which “The Cardinal Bird” is taken.
lyrics : the words of a song
prelate : a church official of high ran
unconventional : different from the normal way of doing things
Answer the following questions.
1) Have you ever seen a cardinal?
2) Why does the poet say this bird is a preacher?
3) Do you agree that we should be bright and cheerful on gray days?
4) To whom does the cardinal preach?
5) What belief does he preach?