The Woodcock's Evening Hymn
This work is a collection of essays that explore the natural world and the human experience through the lens of nature writing. The author reflects on the beauty and wonder of the natural world, and how it can be used to inform and guide human thought and behavior. The essays are lyrical and descriptive, with a focus on the emotional and spiritual connections between humans and the natural world.
By John Burroughs · First published 1886 · Genre: Nature Writing, Essays, Poetry · 1,495 words
First lines
The twilight flight song of the woodcock is one of the most curious and tantalizing yet interesting bird songs we have. I fancy that the persons who hear and recognize it in the April or May twilight are few and far between. I myself have heard it only on three occasions -- one season in late March, one season in April, and the last time in the middle of May. It is a voice of ecstatic song coming down from the upper air and through the mist and the darkness -- the spirit of the swamp and the marsh climbing heavenward and pouring out its joy in a wild burst of lyric melody; a haunter of the muck and a prober of the mud suddenly transformed into a bird that soars and circles and warbles like a lark hidden or half hidden in the depths of the twilight sky. The passion of the spring has few more pleasing exemplars. The madness of the season, the abandon of the mating instinct, is in every move and note. Ordinarily the woodcock is a very dull, stupid bird, with a look almost idiotic, and is seldom seen except by the sportsman or the tramper along marshy brooks. But for a brief season in his life he is an inspired creature, a winged song that baffles the eye and thrills the ear from the mystic regions of the upper air.
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The Woodcock's Evening Hymn is listed on Textopian as an essay by John Burroughs, dated 1886 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Essay
- Author: John Burroughs
- Date: 1886 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Nature Writing, Essays, Poetry, Philosophical Literature, Memoir
- Length: 1,495 words
- Structure: 1 section, 9 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Fairly Easy (7th Grade)
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- Work identity for The Woodcock's Evening Hymn by John Burroughs
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
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Discussion starters
- What should a reader notice first when entering The Woodcock's Evening Hymn?
- How does this essay by John Burroughs fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
- Where does Nature Writing first become important in the reading?
Similar titles
- A Bird Medley by John Burroughs
- The Bobolink by John Burroughs
- The Chimney Swift by John Burroughs
- A Birds Free Lunch by John Burroughs
- Some Remarks On Gulls by Henry Van Dyke
- The Catbird by John Burroughs
Genres
- Nature Writing — The work focuses on the observation and description of the woodcock's song and its significance in nature, embodying the essence of nature writing.
- Essays — The text presents reflective thoughts and personal insights, characteristic of essay writing, particularly in the exploration of themes related to nature and observation.
- Poetry — The lyrical quality of the descriptions and the emphasis on the beauty of the woodcock's song lend a poetic element to the prose.
- Philosophical Literature — The exploration of truth, perception, and the relationship between nature and human experience introduces philosophical themes.
Tags
Nature Writing · American Literature · Essay Collection · Wildlife Observation · Ornithology · Poetic Prose · Meditative · Reflective · Seasonal · Autumnal · Rural Setting · Observational Style