She Dotes on What the Wild Birds Say(1915)
Edward Thomas
She dotes on what the wild birds say
MeterShe dotes on what the wild birds say
Or hint or mock at, night and day,–
MeterOr hint or mock at, night and day,–
Thrush, blackbird, all that sing in May
MeterThrush, blackbird, all that sing in May
And songless plover,
MeterAnd songless plover,
Hawk, heron, owl, and woodpecker.
MeterHawk, heron, owl, and woodpecker.
They never say a word to her
MeterThey never say a word to her
About her lover.
MeterAbout her lover.
She laughs at them for childishness,
MeterShe laughs at them for childishness,
She cries at them for carelessness
MeterShe cries at them for carelessness
Who see her going loverless
MeterWho see her going loverless
Yet sing and chatter
MeterYet sing and chatter
Just as when he was not a ghost,
MeterJust as when he was not a ghost,
Nor ever ask her what she has lost
MeterNor ever ask her what she has lost
Or what is the matter.
MeterOr what is the matter.
Yet she has fancied blackbirds hide
MeterYet she has fancied blackbirds hide
A secret, //and that thrushes chide
MeterA secret, //and that thrushes chide
Because she thinks death can divide
MeterBecause she thinks death can divide
Her from her lover;
MeterHer from her lover;
And she has slept, //trying to translate
MeterAnd she has slept, //trying to translate
The word the cuckoo cries to his mate
MeterThe word the cuckoo cries to his mate
Over and over.
MeterOver and over.
Rhyme
Show
Stress
Foot division
Caesura
Syncopation
List of Poems
By Title
- A Slumber Did My Spirit Seal
- Adonais (Stanzas 54-55)
- An Essay on Criticism (Excerpt ll. 362-73)
- Anthem for Doomed Youth
- Astrophil and Stella: 31
- Bright Star
- Chorus (from Henry the Fifth III.i.1-17)
- Despayre in Praise of Suicide (Faerie Queene 1.9.39-40)
- Dying Speech of an Old Philosopher
- Echo
- Enoch Arden
- Epigram Engraved on the Collar of a Dog Which I Gave to his Royal Highness
- Eternity
- Even Such is Time
- from In Memoriam; section 7
- from The Prelude (I.326-39)
- God’s Grandeur
- He Wishes for the Cloths of Heaven
- Heaven-Haven: A Nun Takes the Veil
- Holy Sonnet 1
- Holy Sonnet 14
- Hyperion I. 1-14
- I Look Into My Glass
- Idylls of the King (X.454-76)
- In Neglect
- Jabberwocky
- Jordan
- Juliet’s Soliloquy (from Romeo and Juliet III.ii.1-25)
- Kubla Khan
- La Belle Dame sans Merci
- Lear on the Heath (from King Lear III.ii.1-9)
- Life of Life (from Prometheus Unbound II.v.48-71)
- Meeting at Night
- Metrical Feet: Lesson for a Boy
- Mont Blanc ll. 1-11
- Mowing
- My Sweetest Lesbia
- On His Blindness
- Ozymandias
- Paradise Lost (IV. 222-44)
- Prospero Explains (from The Tempest IV.i.148-63)
- Renouncement
- Rhyme for a Child Viewing a Naked Venus in a Painting of “The Judgment of Paris”
- She Dotes on What the Wild Birds Say
- Since There’s No Help
- Slow, Slow, Fresh Fount
- Song
- Sonnet 18
- Sonnet 29
- Sonnet 73
- Sudden Light
- Thaw
- The Balloon of the Mind
- The Brain is Wider than the Sky
- The Cold Heaven
- The Eagle
- The Good-Morrow
- The Kraken
- The Lowest Place
- The Night is Freezing Fast
- The Oxen
- The Roundel
- The Sick Rose
- The Sonnet
- The Swifts
- The Tyger
- The Voice
- The Wood Pile
- Though I am Young and Cannot Tell
- To a Friend Whose Work Has Come to Nothing
- Upon Julia’s Clothes
- Westron Wynde
- When a Man Hath No Freedom
By Difficulty
WARMING UP
- A Slumber Did My Spirit Seal
- An Essay on Criticism (Excerpt ll. 362-73)
- Despayre in Praise of Suicide (Faerie Queene 1.9.39-40)
- Dying Speech of an Old Philosopher
- Epigram Engraved on the Collar of a Dog Which I Gave to his Royal Highness
- Even Such is Time
- I Look Into My Glass
- Jabberwocky
- Meeting at Night
- Mont Blanc ll. 1-11
- Rhyme for a Child Viewing a Naked Venus in a Painting of “The Judgment of Paris”
- Sonnet 18
- Sonnet 29
- The Balloon of the Mind
- The Brain is Wider than the Sky
- The Eagle
- The Kraken
- The Lowest Place
- The Night is Freezing Fast
- To a Friend Whose Work Has Come to Nothing
- Upon Julia’s Clothes
- Westron Wynde
MOVING ALONG
- Adonais (Stanzas 54-55)
- Anthem for Doomed Youth
- Astrophil and Stella: 31
- Bright Star
- Chorus (from Henry the Fifth III.i.1-17)
- Enoch Arden
- Eternity
- from In Memoriam; section 7
- from The Prelude (I.326-39)
- He Wishes for the Cloths of Heaven
- Heaven-Haven: A Nun Takes the Veil
- Holy Sonnet 1
- Hyperion I. 1-14
- Idylls of the King (X.454-76)
- In Neglect
- Jordan
- La Belle Dame sans Merci
- Lear on the Heath (from King Lear III.ii.1-9)
- Mowing
- My Sweetest Lesbia
- Ozymandias
- Paradise Lost (IV. 222-44)
- Prospero Explains (from The Tempest IV.i.148-63)
- Renouncement
- Since There’s No Help
- Song
- Sonnet 73
- Thaw
- The Good-Morrow
- The Roundel
- The Sick Rose
- The Sonnet
- The Swifts
- The Tyger
- The Wood Pile
- Though I am Young and Cannot Tell
- When a Man Hath No Freedom
SPECIAL CHALLENGE
- Echo
- God’s Grandeur
- Holy Sonnet 14
- Juliet’s Soliloquy (from Romeo and Juliet III.ii.1-25)
- Kubla Khan
- Life of Life (from Prometheus Unbound II.v.48-71)
- Metrical Feet: Lesson for a Boy
- On His Blindness
- She Dotes on What the Wild Birds Say
- Slow, Slow, Fresh Fount
- Sudden Light
- The Cold Heaven
- The Oxen
- The Voice
By Type
BALLAD
BLANK VERSE
- Chorus (from Henry the Fifth III.i.1-17)
- Enoch Arden
- from The Prelude (I.326-39)
- Hyperion I. 1-14
- Idylls of the King (X.454-76)
- Juliet’s Soliloquy (from Romeo and Juliet III.ii.1-25)
- Lear on the Heath (from King Lear III.ii.1-9)
- Paradise Lost (IV. 222-44)
- Prospero Explains (from The Tempest IV.i.148-63)
CINQUAIN
COUPLET
- An Essay on Criticism (Excerpt ll. 362-73)
- Epigram Engraved on the Collar of a Dog Which I Gave to his Royal Highness
- Metrical Feet: Lesson for a Boy
- Rhyme for a Child Viewing a Naked Venus in a Painting of “The Judgment of Paris”
- The Wood Pile
OCTAVE
ODE
QUATRAIN
- A Slumber Did My Spirit Seal
- Dying Speech of an Old Philosopher
- Eternity
- from In Memoriam; section 7
- Heaven-Haven: A Nun Takes the Veil
- I Look Into My Glass
- Jabberwocky
- On His Blindness
- Thaw
- The Balloon of the Mind
- The Brain is Wider than the Sky
- The Lowest Place
- The Sick Rose
- The Tyger
- The Voice
- Westron Wynde
- When a Man Hath No Freedom
ROUNDEL
SIXAIN
- Life of Life (from Prometheus Unbound II.v.48-71)
- Meeting at Night
- My Sweetest Lesbia
- The Night is Freezing Fast
SONG
SONNET
- Anthem for Doomed Youth
- Astrophil and Stella: 31
- Bright Star
- God’s Grandeur
- Holy Sonnet 1
- Holy Sonnet 14
- Mowing
- Ozymandias
- Renouncement
- Since There’s No Help
- Sonnet 18
- Sonnet 29
- Sonnet 73
- The Sonnet
SPENSERIAN STANZA
TERCET
By Author
ANONYMOUS
WILLIAM BLAKE
ROBERT BROWNING
THOMAS CAMPION
LEWIS CARROLL
SAMUEL TAYLOR COLERIDGE
EMILY DICKINSON
JOHN DONNE
MICHAEL DRAYTON
ROBERT FROST
GERARD MANLEY HOPKINS
THOMAS HARDY
GEORGE HERBERT
ROBERT HERRICK
GERARD MANLEY HOPKINS
A. E. HOUSMAN
BEN JONSON
JOHN KEATS
WALTER SAVAGE LANDOR
GEORGE GORDON LORD BYRON
ALICE MEYNELL
JOHN MILTON
WILFRED OWEN
ALEXANDER POPE
- An Essay on Criticism (Excerpt ll. 362-73)
- Epigram Engraved on the Collar of a Dog Which I Gave to his Royal Highness
WALTER RALEGH
CHRISTINA ROSSETTI
DANTE GABRIEL ROSSETTI
WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE
- Chorus (from Henry the Fifth III.i.1-17)
- Juliet’s Soliloquy (from Romeo and Juliet III.ii.1-25)
- Lear on the Heath (from King Lear III.ii.1-9)
- Prospero Explains (from The Tempest IV.i.148-63)
- Sonnet 18
- Sonnet 29
- Sonnet 73
PERCY BYSSHE SHELLEY
- Adonais (Stanzas 54-55)
- Life of Life (from Prometheus Unbound II.v.48-71)
- Mont Blanc ll. 1-11
- Ozymandias