I THOU dread, uncanny thing, With fuzzy breast and leathern wing, In mad, zigzagging flight, Notching the dusk, and buffeting The black cheeks of the night, With grim delight! II What witch's hand unhasps Thy keen claw-cornered wings From under the barn roof, and flings Thee forth, with chattering gasps, To scud the air, And nip the ladybug, and tear Her children's hearts out unaware? III The glowworm's glimmer, and the bright, Sad pulsings of the firefly's light, Are banquet lights to thee. O less than bird, and worse than beast, Thou Devil's self, or brat, at least, Grate not thy teeth at me! | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...OF THE MEAN AND SURE ESTATE by THOMAS WYATT A NEGRO LOVE SONG by PAUL LAURENCE DUNBAR SUNKEN GOLD by EUGENE JACOB LEE-HAMILTON THE COTTAGER TO HER INFANT by DOROTHY WORDSWORTH ON A MINIATURE by HENRY AUGUSTIN BEERS AN EPICED ON MR. FISHBOURNE by WILLIAM BROWNE (1591-1643) HYMN: 2. TO APOLLO by CALLIMACHUS TOWARDS DEMOCRACY: PART 2. AMONG THE FERNS by EDWARD CARPENTER |