The Owl-Lord Tennyson

THE OWL

When cats run home and light is come,

And dew is cold upon the ground,

And the far-off stream is dumb,

And the whirring sail goes round,

And the whirring sail goes round:

Alone and warming his five wits,

The white owl in the belfry sits.

When merry milkmaids click the latch,

And rarely smells the new-mown hay,

And the cock hath sung beneath the thatch 

Twice or thrice his roundelay,

Twice or thrice his roundelay:

Alone and warming his five wits,

The white own in the belfry sits.

LORD TENNYSON

Summary: 'The Owl' by Lord Tennyson is a short poem that portrays the solitary nature of a white owl as night falls and the world around it settles into a quiet and still state. The owl perches alone in the belfry, keeping its senses sharp, as cats return home, the dew settles, the stream falls silent, and distant sails turn in the wind. Even when milkmaids retire and the scent of freshly cut hay lingers, and the cock has sung its song, the owl remains alone, observing and warming its keen instincts in the belfry.