White Bird of Love by Joyce Kilmer
The poem describes a white bird that has been wounded and is unable to fly. The speaker reflects on the bird's beauty and its inability to soar through the sky. The poem explores themes of mortality, loss, and the fleeting nature of life.
By Joyce Kilmer · First published 1918 · Genre: Poetry, Lyric, Nature · 245 words
First lines
Little white bird of the summer sky, Silver against the golden sun, Over the green of the hills you fly, You and the sweet, wild air are one.
Glorious sights are in that far place Reached by your daisy-petal wing, Rose-colored meteors dive through space, Stars made of molten music sing.
Still, though your quivering eager flight Reaches the groves by Heaven town, Where all the angels cry out, "Alight! Stop, little bird, come down, come down!"
Careless you speed over fields of stars, Darting through Heaven swift and free; Nothing your arrowy passage bars Back to the earth and back to me.
What this Textopian page supports
White Bird of Love is listed on Textopian as a poem by Joyce Kilmer, dated 1918 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Poem
- Author: Joyce Kilmer
- Date: 1918 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Poetry, Lyric, Nature, Romanticism, Symbolism
- Length: 245 words
- Structure: 1 section, 6 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Easy (6th Grade)
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Genres
- Poetry — The work is structured in verse, utilizing rhythm and imagery typical of poetic forms.
- Lyric — The poem expresses personal emotions and thoughts, focusing on themes of love and nature.
- Nature — The imagery and themes prominently feature elements of the natural world, particularly birds and the sky.
- Romanticism — The work embodies romantic ideals, emphasizing emotion, nature, and individual experience.
Tags
Poetry · Romance · Love · Nature · Symbolism · Imagery · Metaphor · Personification · Mythology · Folklore · Spirituality · Mystery