Trusting the first warm day of spring, When transient sunshine warms the sky, Light on his yellow spotted wing Comes forth the early butterfly. With wavering flight, he settles now Where pilewort spreads its blossoms fair, Or on the grass where daisies blow, Pausing, he rests his pinions there. But insect! in a luckless hour Thou from thy winter home hast come, For yet is seen no luscious flower With odour rich, and honied bloom. And these that to the early day Yet timidly their bells unfold, Close with the sun's retreating ray, And shut their humid eyes of gold. For night's dark shades then gather round, And night-winds whistle cold and keen, And hoary frost will crisp the ground, And blight the leaves of budding green! And thou, poor fly! so soft and frail, May'st perish ere returning morn, Nor ever, on the summer gale, To taste of summer sweets be borne! Thus unexperienc'd rashness will presume On the fair promise of life's opening day, Nor dreams how soon the adverse storms may come, "That hush'd in grim repose, expect their evening prey." | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...GOLD COAST CUSTOMS by EDITH SITWELL TO A WEALTHY MAN by WILLIAM BUTLER YEATS AUGURIES OF INNOCENCE by WILLIAM BLAKE MAPLE AND SUMACH by CECIL DAY LEWIS PARTING by COVENTRY KERSEY DIGHTON PATMORE WINTERTIME by ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON THE STEPS OF THE COMMANDER by ALEXANDER (ALEKSANDR) ALEXANDROVICH BLOK IN VINCULIS; SONNETS WRITTEN IN AN IRISH PRISON: CONDEMNED by WILFRID SCAWEN BLUNT |