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Poetry Sunday: June by James Russell Lowell

Welcome to the gentle days of June. Before too long the heat of summer will be upon us but until then let us enjoy these "rare" and "perfect" days.

June

by James Russell Lowell

What is so rare as a day in June?
Then, if ever, come perfect days;
Then Heaven tries the earth if it be in tune,
And over it softly her warm ear lays:
Whether we look, or whether we listen,
We hear life murmur, or see it glisten;
Every clod feels a stir of might,
An instinct within it that reaches and towers,
And, groping blindly above it for light,
Climbs to a soul in grass and flowers;
The flush of life may well be seen
Thrilling back over hills and valleys;
The cowslip startles in meadows green.
The buttercup catches the sun in its chalice,
And there's never a leaf nor a blade too mean
To be some happy creature's palace;
The little bird sits at his door in the sun,
Atilt like a blossom among the leaves,
And lets his illumined being o'errun
With the deluge of summer it receives;
His mate feels the eggs beneath her wings,
And the heart in her dumb breast flutters and sings;
He sings to the wide world, and she to her nest,—
In the nice ear of Nature which song is the best?

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Comments

  1. David M. Gascoigne,June 2, 2024 at 5:21 AM

    A lovely poem. June here is generally quite pleasant but who knows what heat might be inflicted on us as the whole Earth heats up.

    ReplyDelete
  2. LeaJune 2, 2024 at 8:43 AM

    I always enjoy his poetry!
    Have a blessed day!

    ReplyDelete
  3. thecuecardJune 2, 2024 at 9:08 AM

    What a perfect poem for June. I agree the month has some of the best days of all ... to be treasured. Enjoy your garden.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Lark@LarkWritesJune 2, 2024 at 9:47 AM

    Such a lovely poem. :D I like June...except when it gets too hot too fast.

    ReplyDelete
  5. AlanaJune 2, 2024 at 5:11 PM

    June is almost as sweet as May is. Probably my two most favorite months.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Deb Nance at ReaderbuzzJune 8, 2024 at 10:32 AM

    I would modify this poem for the Texas Gulf Coast..."What is so rare as a day in April? Then, if ever, come perfect days."

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dorothy BordersJune 8, 2024 at 11:07 AM

      Yes, Lowell obviously wasn't writing about our part of the world.

      Delete

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