Better Gutenberg
Free, beautifully formatted public-domain ebooks
‹Better GutenbergPoems of NatureThe Vireo — The Poet’s Delay · 29 of 48Contents›

Poems of Nature

by Henry David Thoreau

29 of 48 · Contents · Download EPUB

The Vireo

Upon the lofty elm-tree sprays
  The vireo rings the changes sweet,
During the trivial summer days,
  Striving to lift our thoughts above the street.

The Poet’s Delay

In vain I see the morning rise,
  In vain observe the western blaze,
Who idly look to other skies,
  Expecting life by other ways.

Amidst such boundless wealth without,
  I only still am poor within,
The birds have sung their summer out,
  But still my spring does not begin.

Shall I then wait the autumn wind,
  Compelled to seek a milder day,
And leave no curious nest behind,
  No woods still echoing to my lay?

← Back to Poems of Nature

Scroll to Top