NATURE AND THE POETS 97 



his " whiff of song. " All his notes are call-notes, 

 and are addressed directly to his mate. The song- 

 birds take up a position and lift up their voices and 

 sing. It is a deliberate musical performance, as 

 much so as that of Nilsson or Patti. The bluebird, 

 however, never strikes an attitude and sings for the 

 mere song's sake. But the poets are perhaps to be 

 allowed this latitude, only their pages lose rather 

 than gain by it. Nothing is so welcome in this 

 field as characteristic touches, a word or a phrase 

 that fits this case and no other. If the bluebird 

 chants a hymn, what does the wood thrush do? 

 Yet the bluebird's note is more pleasing than most 

 bird-songs; if it could be reproduced in color, it 

 would be the hue of the purest sky. 



Longfellow makes the swallow sing : — 

 " The darting swallows soar and sing; " — 



which would leave him no room to describe the 

 lark, if the lark had been about. Bryant comes 

 nearer the mark this time : — 



" There are notes of joy from the hang-bird and wren, 

 And the gossip of swallows through all the sky ; " 



so does Tennyson when he makes his swallow 

 " Cheep and twitter twenty million loves; " 



also Lowell again in this line : — 



" The thin-winged swallow skating on the air; " 



and Virgil : — 



" Swallows twitter on the chimney tops." 

 Longfellow is perhaps less close and exact in his 

 dealings with nature than any of his compeers, 



