Conversations introducing poetry chiefly on subjects of natural history. For the use of children and young persons. By Charlotte Smith |
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| 4. | CONVERSATION THE FOURTH. |
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 | Conversations introducing poetry |  |
CONVERSATION THE FOURTH.
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TO A BUTTERFLY IN A WINDOW.
Escaped thy place of wintry rest,
And in the brightest colours drest,
Thy new-born wings prepared for flight,
Ah! do not, Butterfly, in vain
Thus flutter on the crystal pane,
But go! and soar to life and light.
And in the brightest colours drest,
Thy new-born wings prepared for flight,
Ah! do not, Butterfly, in vain
Thus flutter on the crystal pane,
But go! and soar to life and light.
High on the buoyant Summer gale
Thro' cloudless ether thou may'st sail,
Or rest among the fairest flowers;
To meet thy winnowing friends may'st speed,
Or at thy choice luxurious feed
In woodlands wild, or garden bowers.
Thro' cloudless ether thou may'st sail,
Or rest among the fairest flowers;
To meet thy winnowing friends may'st speed,
Or at thy choice luxurious feed
In woodlands wild, or garden bowers.
Beneath some leaf of ample shade
Thy pearly eggs shall then be laid,
Small rudiments of many a fly;
While thou, thy frail existence past,
Shall shudder in the chilly blast,
And fold thy painted wings and die!
Thy pearly eggs shall then be laid,
Small rudiments of many a fly;
While thou, thy frail existence past,
Shall shudder in the chilly blast,
And fold thy painted wings and die!
Soon fleets thy transient life away;
Yet short as is thy vital day,
Like flowers that form thy fragrant food;
Thou, poor Ephemeron, shalt have filled
The little space thy Maker willed,
And all thou know'st of life be good.
Yet short as is thy vital day,
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Thou, poor Ephemeron, shalt have filled
The little space thy Maker willed,
And all thou know'st of life be good.
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WILD FLOWERS.
Fair rising from her icy couch,
Wan herald of the floral year,
The Snow-drop marks the Spring's approach,
E'er yet the Primrose groups appear,
Or peers the Arum from its spotted veil,
Or odorous Violets scent the cold capricious gale.
Wan herald of the floral year,
The Snow-drop marks the Spring's approach,
E'er yet the Primrose groups appear,
Or peers the Arum from its spotted veil,
Or odorous Violets scent the cold capricious gale.
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Then thickly strewn in woodland bowers
Anemonies their stars unfold;
There spring the Sorrel's veined flowers,
And rich in vegetable gold
From calyx pale, the freckled Cowslip born,
Receives in amber cups the fragrant dews of morn.
Anemonies their stars unfold;
There spring the Sorrel's veined flowers,
And rich in vegetable gold
From calyx pale, the freckled Cowslip born,
Receives in amber cups the fragrant dews of morn.
Lo! the green Thorn her silver buds
Expands, to May's enlivening beam;
Hottonia blushes on the floods;
And where the slowly trickling stream
Mid grass and spiry rushes stealing glides,
Her lovely fringed flowers fair Menyanthes hides.
Expands, to May's enlivening beam;
Hottonia blushes on the floods;
And where the slowly trickling stream
Mid grass and spiry rushes stealing glides,
Her lovely fringed flowers fair Menyanthes hides.
In the lone copse or shadowy dale,
Wild cluster'd knots of Harebells blow,
And droops the Lily of the vale
O'er Vinca's matted leaves below,
The Orchis race with varied beauty charm,
And mock the exploring bee, or fly's aerial form.
Wild cluster'd knots of Harebells blow,
And droops the Lily of the vale
O'er Vinca's matted leaves below,
The Orchis race with varied beauty charm,
And mock the exploring bee, or fly's aerial form.
Wound in the hedgerow's oaken boughs,
The Woodbine's tassels float in air,
And blushing, the uncultured Rose
Hangs high her beauteous blossoms there;
Her fillets there the purple Nightshade weaves,
And the Brionia winds her pale and scolloped leaves.
The Woodbine's tassels float in air,
And blushing, the uncultured Rose
Hangs high her beauteous blossoms there;
Her fillets there the purple Nightshade weaves,
And the Brionia winds her pale and scolloped leaves.
To later Summer's fragrant breath
Clemati's feathery garlands dance;
The hollow Foxglove nods beneath,
While the tall Mullein's yellow lance,
Dear to the meally tribe of evening, towers,
And the weak Galium weaves its myriad fairy flowers.
Clemati's feathery garlands dance;
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While the tall Mullein's yellow lance,
Dear to the meally tribe of evening, towers,
And the weak Galium weaves its myriad fairy flowers.
Sheltering the coot's or wild duck's nest,
And where the timid halcyon hides,
The Willow-herb, in crimson drest,
Waves with Arundo o'er the tides;
And there the bright Nymphea loves to lave,
Or spreads her golden orbs upon the dimpling wave.
And where the timid halcyon hides,
The Willow-herb, in crimson drest,
Waves with Arundo o'er the tides;
And there the bright Nymphea loves to lave,
Or spreads her golden orbs upon the dimpling wave.
And thou! by pain and sorrow blest,
Papaver! that an opiate dew
Conceal'st beneath thy scarlet vest,
Contrasting with the Corn flower blue,
Autumnal months behold thy gauzy leaves
Bend in the rustling gale, amid the tawny sheaves.
Papaver! that an opiate dew
Conceal'st beneath thy scarlet vest,
Contrasting with the Corn flower blue,
Autumnal months behold thy gauzy leaves
Bend in the rustling gale, amid the tawny sheaves.
From the first bud whose venturous head
The Winter's lingering tempest braves,
To those which mid the foliage dead
Sink latest to their annual grave,
All are for food, for health, or pleasure given,
And speak in various ways the bounteous hand of Heaven.
The Winter's lingering tempest braves,
To those which mid the foliage dead
Sink latest to their annual grave,
All are for food, for health, or pleasure given,
And speak in various ways the bounteous hand of Heaven.
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THE HOT-HOUSE ROSE.
An early Rose borne from her genial bower
Met the fond homage of admiring eyes,
And while young Zephyr fann'd the lovely flower,
Nature and Art contended for the prize.
Met the fond homage of admiring eyes,
And while young Zephyr fann'd the lovely flower,
Nature and Art contended for the prize.
Exulting Nature cried, I made thee fair,
'Twas I that nursed thy tender buds in dew;
I gave thee fragrance to perfume the air,
And stole from beauty's cheek her blushing hue.
'Twas I that nursed thy tender buds in dew;
I gave thee fragrance to perfume the air,
And stole from beauty's cheek her blushing hue.
Vainly fastidious novelty affects
O'er alpine heights and untrod wilds to roam,
From rocks and swamps her foreign plants collects,
And brings the rare but scentless treasures home.
O'er alpine heights and untrod wilds to roam,
From rocks and swamps her foreign plants collects,
And brings the rare but scentless treasures home.
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Midst Art's factitious children let them be
In sickly state by names pedantic known,
True taste's unbiassed eye shall turn to thee,
And love and beauty mark thee for their own.
In sickly state by names pedantic known,
True taste's unbiassed eye shall turn to thee,
And love and beauty mark thee for their own.
Cease goddess, cease, indignant Art replied,
And e'er you triumph, know that but for me
This beauteous object of our mutual pride
Had been no other than a vulgar tree.
And e'er you triumph, know that but for me
This beauteous object of our mutual pride
Had been no other than a vulgar tree.
I snatched her from her tardy mother's arms,
Where sun-beams scorch and piercing tempests blow;
On my warm bosom nursed her infant charms,
Pruned the wild shoot, and trained the straggling bough.
Where sun-beams scorch and piercing tempests blow;
On my warm bosom nursed her infant charms,
Pruned the wild shoot, and trained the straggling bough.
I watched her tender buds, and from her shade
Drew each intruding weed with anxious care,
Nor let the curling blight her leaves invade,
Nor worm nor noxious insect harbour there;
Drew each intruding weed with anxious care,
Nor let the curling blight her leaves invade,
Nor worm nor noxious insect harbour there;
At length the beauty's loveliest bloom appears,
And Art from Fame shall win the promised boon,
While wayward April smiling through her tears
Decks her fair tresses with the wreaths of June.
And Art from Fame shall win the promised boon,
While wayward April smiling through her tears
Decks her fair tresses with the wreaths of June.
Then jealous Nature, yield the palm to me,
To me thy pride its early triumph owes;
Though thy rude workmanship produced the tree,
'Twas Education formed the perfect Rose!
To me thy pride its early triumph owes;
Though thy rude workmanship produced the tree,
'Twas Education formed the perfect Rose!
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