Written in March. William Wordsworth (1770-1850). Brothers' Water. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, ed. 1876-79. Poems of Places: An Anthology in 31 Volumes. England: Vols. I-IV

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, ed. Poems of Places: An Anthology in 31 Volumes.
England: Vols. I–IV. 1876–79.

Brothers’ Water

Written in March

William Wordsworth (1770–1850)

While Resting on the Bridge at the Foot of Brothers’ Water

THE COCK is crowing,
The stream is flowing,
The small birds twitter,
The lake doth glitter,
The green field sleeps in the sun;	5
The oldest and youngest
Are at work with the strongest;
The cattle are grazing,
Their heads never raising;
There are forty feeding like one!	10

Like an army defeated
The snow hath retreated,
And now doth fare ill
On the top of the bare hill;
The ploughboy is whooping—anon—anon	15
There ’s joy in the mountains;
There ’s life in the fountains;
Small clouds are sailing,
Blue sky prevailing;
The rain is over and gone!	20