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When ice is thawed, and snow is gone,
And racy sweetness floods the trees,
When snowbirds from the hedge have flown,
And on the hive-porch swarm the bees —
Drifting down the first warm wind
That thrills the earliest days of spring,
The bluebird seeks our maple groves,
And charms them into tasseling.
He sits among the delicate sprays,
With mists of splendor round him drawn,
And through the spring’s prophetic veil
Sees summer’s rich fulfillment dawn;
He sings, and his is Nature’s voice —
A gush of melody sincere
From that great fount of harmony
Which thaws and runs when spring is here.
From childhood I have nursed a faith
In bluebirds’ songs and winds of spring;
They tell me after frost and death
There comes a time of blossoming;
And after snow and cutting sleet,
The cold, stem mood of Nature yields
To tender warmth, when bare pink feet
Of children press her greening fields.
Sing strong and clear, O bluebird dear!
While all the land with splendor fills,
While maples gladden in the vales,
And plum trees blossom on the hills;
Float down the wind on shining wings,
And do thy will by grove and stream,
While through my life spring’s freshness runs
Like music through a poet’s dream.
( Maurice Thompson )
Maurice Thompson (1844-1901) was born in Indiana but lived for a number of years in the South. While in Georgia he joined the Confederate army. After the Civil War he returned to Indiana and located in Crawfordsville. He practiced law, but became well known as a writer. Among his published works are novels, books on archery, and Poems, a collection from which “The Bluebird” is taken.
swarm : many of something
splendour : wonderful things
Answer the following questions.
1) Have you ever seen a bluebird?
2) At what time of year does this bird visit maple groves?
3) What do you know about its song?
4) What effect does the bluebird’s song have on the poet?
5) What comparison is made in the last stanza?