April The Celandine. 107 



note, called the Figwort Ranunculus ' common pilewort,' 

 but he was extremely careful not to call it so in the 

 stanzas of the poem itself. Hear how prettily the 

 poetical name ends the first stanza : 



' Pansies, lilies, kingcups, daisies, 

 Let them live upon their praises j 

 Long as there's a sun that sets 

 Primroses will have their glory ; 

 Long as there are violets, 

 They will have a place in story : 

 There's a flower that shall be mine, 

 'Tis the little Celandine.' 



And again, the last stanza but one : 



* 111 befall the yellow flowers, 

 Children of the flaring hours ! 

 Buttercups that will be seen 

 Whether we will see or no ; 

 Others, too, of lofty mien ; 

 They have done as worldlings do, 

 Taken praise that should be thine, 

 Little, humble Celandine ! ' 



It is curious what a hold this flower seems to have 

 taken on Wordsworth's affections. He wrote three poems 

 about it, two in the rather jingling measure of the stanzas 

 just quoted, and a third, of far more serious tone and 

 deeper meaning, in a measure adapted to the expression 

 of earnest thought ; and so closely does the noble sadness 

 of these stanzas associate itself with the flower by which 

 they were suggested, that it is impossible for any one 

 who has read Wordsworth as poetry ought to be read, 



