Classic Poem

From gab of jay and chatter of crake
The dusk wood covered me utterly,
And here the tongue of the thrush was awake.
Flame-floods out of the low bright sky
Lighted the gloom with gold-brown dye,
Before dark; and a manifold chorussing
Arose of thrushes remote and nigh, —
For the tongue of the singer needs must sing.

Midmost a close green covert of brake
A brown bird listening silently
Sat; and I thought — " She grieves for the sake
Of Itylus, — for the stains that lie
In her heritage of sad memory. "
But the thrushes were hushed at evening.
Then I waited to hear the brown bird try, —
For the tongue of the singer needs must sing.

And I said — " The thought of the thrushes will shake
With rapture remembered her heart; and her shy
Tongue of the dear times dead will take
To make her a living song, when sigh
The soft night winds disburthened by.
Hark now! " — for the upraised quivering wing,
The throat exultant, I could descry, —
And the tongue of the singer needs must sing!

L'ENVOI

But the bird dropped dead with only a cry.
I found its tongue was withered, poor thing!
Then I no whit wondered, for well knew I
That the heart of the singer will break or sing.