
The story takes place in July, a time of renewal and rejuvenation. The narrator describes the beauty of nature, with the dawn breaking slowly, poplar leaves quivering, and a gentle breeze awakening the river. As the sun rises, the clouds turn from pearl to rose, and the night gives way to a new day. The atmosphere is filled with freshness, soothing scents, and a sense of hope and purpose. The narrator suggests that in this idyllic setting, past sorrows are forgiven, and the heart feels reborn, stripped of its burdens.
By Edith Nesbit · First published 1909 · Genre: Children's Literature, Fantasy, Adventure · 243 words
The night hardly covers the face of the sky, / But the darkness is drawn / Like a veil o'er the heaven these nights in July, / A veil rent at dawn, / When with exquisite tremors the poplar leaves quiver, / And a breeze like a kiss wakes the slumbering river, / And the light in the east keener grows -- clearer grows, / Till the edge of the clouds turn from pearl into rose, / And o'er the hill's shoulder -- the night wholly past -- / The sun peeps at last!
Come out! there's a freshness that thrills like a song, / That soothes like a sleep; / And the scent of wild thyme on the air borne along, / Where the downs slope up steep.
July is listed on Textopian as a poem by Edith Nesbit, dated 1909 CE.
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Children's Literature · Fantasy · Adventure · Family · Friendship · Growing Up · Summer Vacation · Countryside · Rural Life · Imagination · Magic Realism · Coming of Age