The Bird and the Ship
A boat sailing from narrow land toward the open sea invites a bird to join its merry companions. The bird declines, choosing its own wings and solitary song, which it says neither poet nor printer may know throughout its life.
By Henry Wadsworth Longfellow · Genre: Poetry, Maritime Literature · 391 words
First lines
By Wilhelm Muller
"The rivers rush into the sea, / By castle and town they go; / The winds behind them merrily / Their noisy trumpets blow.
Genres
- Poetry — Rhyming stanzas carry a dialogue between a bird and a boat, ending with the bird's account of its lifelong song.
- Maritime Literature — The boat describes its wind-filled sails and passage toward the open sea, while the bird speaks of flying above its mast.
Tags
birds · sailing · birdsong · solitude · flight
What this Textopian page supports
The Bird and the Ship is listed on Textopian as a poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, dated Date unknown.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Poem
- Author: Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
- Date: Date unknown
- Language: English
- Genres: Poetry, Maritime Literature
- Length: 391 words
- Structure: 1 section, 10 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Easy (6th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for The Bird and the Ship by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
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- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
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