The Legend of the Crossbill
A little bird tries tirelessly to pull the iron nail from the dying Saviour's hand and free him from the cross. The Saviour blesses it to bear marks of blood and the cross; the bird is called the crossbill and sings in pine groves.
By Henry Wadsworth Longfellow · Genre: Narrative Poetry, Legend, Religious Poetry · 203 words
First lines
By Julius Mosen
On the cross the dying Saviour / Heavenward lifts his eyelids calm, / Feels, but scarcely feels, a trembling / In his pierced and bleeding palm.
And by all the world forsaken, / Sees he how with zealous care / At the ruthless nail of iron / A little bird is striving there.
Stained with blood and never tiring, / With its beak it doth not cease, / From the cross 't would free the Saviour, / Its Creator's Son release.
Genres
- Narrative Poetry — Five verse stanzas recount the bird's attempt to remove a nail, the Saviour's blessing, and the bird's identification as the crossbill.
- Legend — The bird's encounter with the crucified Saviour explains its blood markings and association with the cross.
- Religious Poetry — The crucified Saviour blesses the bird that tries to release him.
Tags
crucifixion · birds · blessing · compassion · Christian legend
What this Textopian page supports
The Legend of the Crossbill 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, Legend, Religious Poetry
- Length: 203 words
- Structure: 1 section, 6 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Fairly Easy (7th Grade)
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