The Poetical Works of John Critchley Prince Edited by R. A. Douglas Lithgow |
 |
| I. |
|
|
|
| I. |
| II. |
| III. |
| IV. |
| V. |
| VI. |
| VII. |
| VIII. |
|
|
|
|
| II. |
|
|
A SONG OF THE WOODLANDS. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 | The Poetical Works of John Critchley Prince |  |
84
A SONG OF THE WOODLANDS.
“The fern and the foxglove for me, yes, for me!”
Was a saying of bold Robin Hood,
When he thought of his life in the forest so free,—
The charms of the merry greenwood.
To him 'twas a pleasure, which others might scorn,
To dwell 'mid their growth and their bloom;
The flower had the shape of his own bugle-horn,
And the fern had the wave of his plume.
Was a saying of bold Robin Hood,
When he thought of his life in the forest so free,—
The charms of the merry greenwood.
To him 'twas a pleasure, which others might scorn,
To dwell 'mid their growth and their bloom;
The flower had the shape of his own bugle-horn,
And the fern had the wave of his plume.
“The fern and the foxglove for me!” echo I,—
There is poetry e'en in the sound,
When I think of the deer fleeting fearlessly by,
And the birds singing gladsomely round;
Of the twilight that hangs in the stalwart old trees,—
Of the sun-spots and shadows that fall,—
Of the low, mellow boom of the wandering bees,
And a blue, boundless heaven o'er all.
There is poetry e'en in the sound,
When I think of the deer fleeting fearlessly by,
And the birds singing gladsomely round;
Of the twilight that hangs in the stalwart old trees,—
Of the sun-spots and shadows that fall,—
Of the low, mellow boom of the wandering bees,
And a blue, boundless heaven o'er all.
“The fern and the foxglove for us!” echo they
Whose souls have a summertide glow,
When they vow to make merry one “red-letter” day,
Where sweet winds and sweeter flowers blow;
Imagine the meal on the sward in the shade,
The laughter that startleth the noon,
The song that reëchoes through dingle and glade,
And the happy hearts throbbing in tune.
Whose souls have a summertide glow,
When they vow to make merry one “red-letter” day,
Where sweet winds and sweeter flowers blow;
85
The laughter that startleth the noon,
The song that reëchoes through dingle and glade,
And the happy hearts throbbing in tune.
“The fern and the foxglove for us!” echo all
For Freedom and Nature who yearn;
How gladly would thousands escape from their thrall,
To look on the foxglove and fern!
Town-workers, who faint in the world's daily fight,
Oh! waste not the leisure that's given,
But away to the woodlands for health and delight,
For the beauty of earth and of heaven!
For Freedom and Nature who yearn;
How gladly would thousands escape from their thrall,
To look on the foxglove and fern!
Town-workers, who faint in the world's daily fight,
Oh! waste not the leisure that's given,
But away to the woodlands for health and delight,
For the beauty of earth and of heaven!
| The Poetical Works of John Critchley Prince | |