To the Cuckoo-William Wordsworth

 TO THE CUCKOO

O blithe New-comer! I have heard,

I hear thee and rejoice.

O Cuckoo! shall I call thee Bird,

Or but a wandering Voice?


While I am lying on the grass

Thy twofold shout I hear,

From hill to hill it seems to pass,

At once far off, and near.


Thrice welcome, darling of the Spring!

Even yet thou art to me

No bird, but an invisible thing,

A voice, a mystery.


WILLIAM WORDSWORTH


Summary: 'To the Cuckoo' by William Wordsworth expresses the poet's delight upon hearing the call of the cuckoo. The speaker addresses the cuckoo as a 'blithe New-comer' and expresses joy upon hearing its call. The speaker contemplates whether to consider the cuckoo a bird or simply a wandering voice, highlighting the unique and captivating nature of its sound.

As the speaker lies on the grass, the cuckoo's twofold shout is heard, echoing from hill to hill, creating a sense of both distance and proximity. The poet welcomes the cuckoo as the darling of spring, appreciating its arrival as a herald of the season's renewal.

However, the speaker goes beyond perceiving the cuckoo as a mere bird, describing it as an 'invisible thing,' a voice that carries an element of mystery. The poem captures the speaker's deep connection with nature and the transcendent quality he finds in the cuckoo's call, turning it into more than a physical presence but rather a symbolic and mystical force that enriches the experience of spring.

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