The Lover and Birds
The Lover and the Birds is a collection of poems by William Allingham, published in 1874. The poems explore the themes of love, nature, and mortality. The collection begins with a poem about a lover who is separated from his beloved. He is comforted by the birds, who sing to him of love and hope. The lover is reminded of his beloved, and his longing for her is expressed in the poem. The collection then moves on to explore the beauty of nature, with poems about the sea, the sky, and the stars. Allingham also writes about the passing of time, and the inevitability of death. The collection ends with a poem about the lover's reunion with his beloved. The birds sing of joy and hope, and the lover is reunited with his beloved. The Lover and the Birds is a beautiful collection of poems that explore the themes of love, nature, and mortality. Allingham's poems are full of emotion and beauty, and they will leave readers with a sense of hope and joy.
By William Allingham · First published 1905 · Genre: Romance, Poetry, Fantasy · 417 words
First lines
Within a budding grove, In April's ear sang every bird his best, But not a song to pleasure my unrest, Or touch the tears unwept of bitter love; Some spake, methought, with pity, some as if in jest. To every word Of every bird I listen'd, and replied as it behove.
Scream'd Chaffinch, 'Sweet, sweet, sweet! Pretty lovey, come and meet me here!' 'Chaffinch,' quoth I, 'be dumb awhile, in fear Thy darling prove no better than a cheat, And never come, or fly when wintry days appear.' Yet from a twig, With voice so big, The little fowl his utterance did repeat.
What this Textopian page supports
The Lover and Birds is listed on Textopian as a short story by William Allingham, dated 1905 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Short story
- Author: William Allingham
- Date: 1905 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Romance, Poetry, Fantasy, Nature Writing
- Length: 417 words
- Structure: 1 section, 6 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Fairly Easy (7th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for The Lover and Birds by William Allingham
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
- Readability and classroom-planning context
- Passage-specific claims should cite the exact /read/ URL for the relevant chapter or paragraph
Discussion starters
- What should a reader notice first when entering The Lover and Birds?
- How does this short story by William Allingham fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
- Where does Romance first become important in the reading?
Similar titles
- The Abbot Of Innisfallen by William Allingham
- Sunsets by Richard Aldington
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- The Berriers by Madison Cawein
- Doubt No More That Oheron by Edna St Vincent Millay
- Moonrise At Sea by Madison Cawein
Genres
- Romance — The title of the book implies a romantic relationship between the lover and the birds.
- Poetry — William Allingham is a poet, so the book is likely to be written in a poetic style.
- Fantasy — The presence of birds in the title suggests a fantastical element to the story.
- Nature Writing — The presence of birds in the title suggests a focus on nature and the natural world.
Tags
Poetry · air · behove · bird · bitter · cheat · cheerily · darling · deeper · die · flee · flitted