The Emperor's Bird's-Nest
While Emperor Charles of Spain besieges a frontier town in Flanders, his commanders discover a swallow nesting on his tent. He forbids anyone to harm her and, when the siege ends and the army departs, orders his tent left standing until the brood has fledged and flown.
By Henry Wadsworth Longfellow · Genre: Narrative Poetry, Animal Poetry · 520 words
First lines
Once the Emperor Charles of Spain, / With his swarthy, grave commanders, / I forget in what campaign, / Long besieged, in mud and rain, / Some old frontier town of Flanders.
Up and down the dreary camp, / In great boots of Spanish leather, / Striding with a measured tramp, / These Hidalgos, dull and damp, / Cursed the Frenchmen, cursed the weather.
Genres
- Narrative Poetry — Rhymed five-line stanzas follow the discovery of a swallow's nest, the Emperor's protective orders, and the brood's eventual departure.
- Animal Poetry — A swallow nests and broods amid a military siege, and protecting her young determines why the Emperor's tent remains standing.
Tags
swallows · bird nests · sieges · military camps · animal protection
What this Textopian page supports
The Emperor's Bird's-Nest 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: Narrative Poetry, Animal Poetry
- Length: 520 words
- Structure: 1 section, 11 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Standard (8th-9th Grade)
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