To a Butterfly
"To a Butterfly" was written by William Wordsworth. As children, Wordsworth and his sister Dorothy would chase butterflies in the summer. When he was about 8 years old his mother passed away and he and his sister were separated. He wrote two poems called "To a Butterfly" in homage of his sister.
To a Butterfly
Poem
I've watched you now a full half-hour;
Self-poised upon that yellow flower
And, little Butterfly! indeed
I know not if you sleep or feed.
How motionless! –not frozen seas
More motionless! and then
What joy awaits you, when the breeze
Hath found you out among the trees,
And calls you forth again!
This plot of orchard-ground is ours;
My trees they are, my Sister's flowers;
Here rest your wings when they are weary;
Here lodge as in a sanctuary!
Come often to us, fear no wrong;
Sit near us on the bough!
We'll talk of sunshine and of song,
And summer days, when we were young;
Sweet childish days, that were as long
As twenty days are now.
Notes
Written by William Wordsworth in 1801.
This recording is of only the first verse. It's interesting how different the readings are.
Read by Nicky.
