To a Tulip-Bulb by Edith Nesbit
The poem is an address to a tulip bulb, urging it to sleep through the harsh winter and ignore the cold and darkness above. It promises that when the bulb wakes, it will find a beautiful world transformed by spring, with greenery everywhere and flowers blooming. The poem also expresses gratitude for the "fairy song" and "fairy kiss" that allowed the tulip to rest and eventually awaken to a new season of life and love.
By Edith Nesbit · First published 1906 · Genre: Poetry, Nature Literature, Fantasy · 259 words
First lines
Sleep first, And let the storm and winter do their worst; Let all the garden lie Bare to the angry sky, The shed leaves shiver and die Above your bed; Let the white coverlet Of sunlit snow be set Over your sleeping head, While in the earth you sleep Where dreams are dear and deep, And heed nor wind nor snow, Nor how the dark moons go.
In this sad upper world where Winter's hand Has bound with chains of ice the weary land.
Then wake To see the whole world lovely for Spring's sake; The garden fresh and fair With green things everywhere, And winter's want and care Banished and fled; Primrose and violet In every border set, With rain and sunshine fed.
What this Textopian page supports
To a Tulip-Bulb is listed on Textopian as a poem by Edith Nesbit, dated 1906 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Poem
- Author: Edith Nesbit
- Date: 1906 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Poetry, Nature Literature, Fantasy
- Length: 259 words
- Structure: 1 section, 4 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Standard (8th-9th Grade)
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Similar titles
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- The Flowers by Robert Louis Stevenson
- The Daffodils by Alice Meynell
- The Piper by Alice Meynell
- Id Love To Be A Fairys Child by Robert Graves
- The Dumb Soldier by Robert Louis Stevenson
Genres
- Poetry — The work is written in verse, with a rhythmic structure and use of poetic devices such as metaphor and imagery.
- Nature Literature — The work extensively describes natural elements, such as a garden, seasons, and a tulip bulb, indicating a focus on nature.
- Fantasy — The work includes elements of the fantastical, such as the personification of a tulip bulb and the mention of fairies.
Tags
poetry · nature · flowers · tulip · bulb · spring · growth · rebirth · hope · beauty · imagination · whimsy