The POEMS

Under each bird name, the poems are arranged chronologically; first lines are also given below each poem title, as a potentially helpful spur to the memory. For untitled poems, the first line only is given instead (and identified as such via enclosing quotation marks). I would eventually like to gloss/annotate all of the texts herein--to make it a true "anthology"--but for now I've merely added comments immediately after a few of the entries, in parentheses, as they occurred to me. NOTE: These poetry texts are provided only "for purposes such as criticism, comment . . . teaching, scholarship, or research."

Oops--Let's try that BIRD Species/Type INDEX. . . .

NEW (5/08): I've divided this "POEMS" section into EIGHT separate pages, for quicker loading. . . .

A-C     D-G     H-L     M-O     P-R     S-T     U-Z     Misc.

DOVE    {see also "PIGEON, STOCK"}        [pictured: European Collared-Dove; audio: Morning Dove]

"I HAD A DOVE, AND THE SWEET DOVE DIED" --John Keats (Gr. Brit.)

"THE ROSE, THE LILY, THE SUN AND THE DOVE" --Heinrich Heine (Germany)
 

DOVE, EUROPEAN TURTLE-

VILLANELLE --Jean Passerat (France)
      "Oh, I have lost my turtle dove"
        (--I finally found another translation, but--surprise--I like mine better. . . .)

THE PHOENIX AND THE TURTLE --William Shakespeare (Gr. Brit.)
      "Let the bird of loudest lay"
 

DUCK    {see also "WATERFOWL"}        [pictured: Mallard (photo, TCG)]

THE LITTLE DUCK --Joso (Japan)
      "'I've just come from a place'"
 

DUCK, WOOD    {see also "WATERFOWL"}        [photo:TCG]

WOOD DUCK POND --Tom Gannon (U.S. [Native American])
      "he came upon this perfectly"
 

DUNNOCK

HEDGE SPARROW --John Clare (Gr. Brit.)
      "The tame hedge sparrow in its russet dress"
 

EAGLE        [pictured: Golden Eagle; Bald Eagle (photo: TCG)]

EAGLES --William Wordsworth (Gr. Brit.)
      "Dishonoured Rock and Ruin! that, by law"

ON REVISITING DUNOLLY CASTLE --William Wordsworth (Gr. Brit.)
      "The captive Bird was gone;--to cliff or moor"

THE DUNOLLY EAGLE --William Wordsworth (Gr. Brit.)
      "Not to the clouds, not to the cliff, he flew;"

THE EAGLE --Alfred, Lord Tennyson (Gr. Brit.)
      "He clasps the crag with crooked hands"

THE DALLIANCE OF EAGLES --Walt Whitman (U.S.)
      "Skirting the river road, (my forenoon walk, my rest)"
        (--aquiline sexuality--PG rating?!)

FOUR POEMS FOR A CHILD SON --Simon J. Ortiz (U.S. [Native American])
      "It has to do with full moments"

EAGLE POEM --Joy Harjo (U.S. [Native American])
      "To sky, to earth, to sun, to moon"

THE EAGLE'S LAMENT --Ethan Collings (U.S.)
      "Me? A birdie? Insidious child!"
        (--punch-line included!)

EAGLE --Michael R. Collings (U.S.)
      "From this angle it perches"
        (--A carved eagle comes alive. . . .)
 

EGRET        [pictured: Cattle Egret (photo, TCG)]

"LIKE A WAVE CREST" --Uda (Japan)

EGRETS --Mary Oliver (U.S.)
      "Where the path closed"
 

EGRET, SNOWY        [photo: TCG]

EGRET --Michael R. Collings (U.S.)
      "Three times I've seen the"

ON HIGHWAY 70, SOUTH, TO SACRAMENTO--CHRISTMAS DAY --Michael R. Collings (U.S.)
      "First, an egret, show-white hump"
 

FINCH        [pictured: Zebra Finch]

MAD BIRD'S MONDAY SONG --Tom Gannon (U.S. [Native American])
      "rain my favorite"
 

FINCH, PURPLE

FINCHES --Mary Oliver (U.S.)
      "Ice in the woods, snow in the fields, a few finches singing."
 

FLICKER, NORTHERN        [photo: TCG]

NORTHERN FLICKER --David Chorlton (U.S.)
      "A moulted feather"
 

GOATSUCKER (Nightjar)        [pictured: European Nightjar]

CAPRIMULGIFORMES --Tom Gannon (U.S. [Native American])
      "secret birds with deep plaintive"
 

GOLDFINCH, EUROPEAN

from I STOOD TIPTOE --John Keats (Gr. Brit.)
      ". . . Linger awhile upon some bending planks"
 

GOOSE    {see also "WATERFOWL"}        [pictured: Greylag Goose]

THE WILD GEESE LEAVE --Yasui (Japan)
      "Wild geese! I know"

FALL --Sally Andresen (U.S.?)
      "The geese flying south"

WILD GEESE --Mary Oliver (U.S.)
      "You do not have to be good."

TRAVELERS --Linda Hogan (U.S. [Native American])
      "The terrible cold"
 

GRACKLE, COMMON    {see also "BLACKBIRD"}        [photo: TCG]

THIRTEEN WAYS OF LOOKING AT A BLACKBIRD --Wallace Stevens (U.S.)
      "Among twenty snowy mountains"
        (--an everyday bird as symbol for death, or reality?)

THE GRACKLE --Ogden Nash (U.S.)
      "The grackle's voice is less than mellow"
 

GREENFINCH, EUROPEAN

THE GREEN LINNET --William Wordsworth (Gr. Brit.)
      "Beneath these fruit-tree boughs that shed"
 

GROUSE, RUFFED

RUFFED GROUSE --Robert Cording (U.S.)
      "It was beautiful,"
 

GULL        [pictured: Herring Gull]

THE SEA-GULL --Ogden Nash (U.S.)
      "Hark to the whimper of the sea-gull"

SEATTLE SOUND --Dave Ruslander (U.S.)
      "Seagulls pick clams from the beach"
 

A-C     D-G     H-L     M-O     P-R     S-T     U-Z     Misc.

-=TO THE TOP

-=TO THE SPECIES INDEX

-=EXIT to COVER PAGE/CREDITS

-=NETIZEN NOTES (info on poem authors)