THE WINDHOVER - Thomas Hood Poems

 
 

Poems » thomas hood » the windhover

THE WINDHOVER

To Christ our Lord

I caught this morning morning's minion, king-
    dom of daylight's dauphin, dapple-dáwn-drawn Falcon, in his riding
    Of the rólling level úndernéath him steady áir, & stríding
High there, how he rung upon the rein of a wimpling wing
In his ecstasy! then off, off forth on swing,
    As a skate's heel sweeps smooth on a bow-bend: the hurl & gliding
    Rebuffed the big wind. My heart in hiding
Stirred for a bird, -- the achieve of, the mastery of the thing!

Brute beauty & valour & act, oh, air, pride, plume, here
    Buckle! AND the fire that breaks from thee then, a billion
Times told lovelier, more dangerous, o my chevalier!
    No wónder of it: shéer plód makes plóugh down síllion
Shine, & blue-bleak embers, ah my dear,
    Fall, gáll themsélves, & gásh góld-vermílion.