The Birds and Poets 83 



"mew" from which he derives his name, reserving 

 his song for the depths of the thick shrubs, it is not 

 very often heard, considering that he is one of our 

 most common birds. He can offer no suitable 

 apology for prostituting his fine vocal powers to 

 his monotonous "mew, mew" when his song would 

 make proud any bird so fortunate as to possess it. 



"You, who would with wanton art 

 Counterfeit another's part 

 And with noisy utterance claim 

 Right to an ignoble name, 

 Inharmonious I why must you, 

 To a better self untrue, 

 Gifted with the charm of song, 

 Do the generous gift such wrong? 



Oh ! you much mistake your duty, 

 Mating discord thus with beauty, 

 'Mid these heavenly sunset gleams, 

 Vexing the smooth air with screams, 

 Burdening the dainty breeze 

 With insane discordancies. 



I have heard you tell a tale 

 Tender as the nightingale, 

 Sweeter than the early thrush 

 Pipes at day dawn from the bush, 

 Wake once more the liquid strain 

 That you poured like music-rain, 

 When, last night, in the sweet weather, 

 You and I were out together. 



