This is one of the poems I used to used every March in school. The kids always liked it despite some old fashioned language (and kids being kids, I always heard a lot of doths the rest of the day). After this wretched winter experienced by most of the country, it just seems like the right poem to share today.
Written in March
The cock is crowing,
The stream is flowing,
The small birds twitter,
The lake doth glitter,
The green field sleeps in the sun;
The oldest and youngest
Are at work with the strongest;
The cattle are grazing,
Their heads never raising;
Their are forty feeding like one!
Like an army defeated
The snow hath retreated,
And now doth fare ill
On the top of the bare hill;
The ploughboy is whooping - anon - anon:
There's joy in the mountains;
There's life in the fountains;
Small clouds are sailing,
Blue sky prevailing;
The rain is over and gone!
I can just imagine your students dothing each other after reading this. Love the image of snow as a retreating army.
ReplyDeleteIt was pretty funny, but they also liked it. I taught fourth grade and was the first teacher to teach them any poetry, so it was especially fun watching them with some of the poems we read. I also like the image you mention, also the image of the happy ploughboy. And yes, I heard many anon as well as doths.
DeleteIt has such a pretty rhythm, Alex. I don't know this. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Linda. This is from my teaching collection. I love the way it heralds the coming of spring. Glad you enjoyed it.
DeleteAll true here, especially (thankfully) the part about the rain stopping. The lake in the first stanza is out beyond our back fence in the easement/alley!
ReplyDeleteWhat a perfect poem for March! So glad that you gave students a taste of poetry.
ReplyDelete