And listen, till I do [beget]
O blesséd bird! the earth we pace,
Again appears to be
An unsubstantial, fairy place,
That is fit home for thee!
NOTES AND QUESTIONS
Biography. William Wordsworth (1770-1850) was born in the beautiful Cumberland Highlands of northern England, which furnished the inspiration for most of his poetry. While still a young man, he retired to the beautiful Lake Country of northern England, where he lived a simple life. He was devoted to the cause of liberty; he was a believer in the beauty and charm of the humble life; he often wrote about peasants rather than about lords and ladies and knights of romance. His flower poems and bird poems show the simplicity and sincerity of his nature.
Note. The cuckoo is a European bird noted for its two-syllable whistle, in imitation of which it is named; also for its habit of laying eggs in the nests of other birds for them to hatch, instead of building a nest of its own.
Discussion. 1. Why does the poet call the cuckoo “a wandering voice”? 2. What other names does the poet call the cuckoo? 3. To what habit of the cuckoo does this poem call attention? 4. Why does the poet say a “fairy place” is a fit home for the cuckoo? 5. What “golden time” is mentioned?