The Poplar Field Poem by William Cowper

The Poplar Field



The poplars are felled, farewell to the shade
And the whispering sound of the cool colonnade:
The winds play no longer and sing in the leaves,
Nor Ouse on his bosom their image receives.

Twelve years have elapsed since I first took a view
Of my favourite field, and the bank where they grew,
And now in the grass behold they are laid,
And the tree is my seat that once lent me a shade.

The blackbird has fled to another retreat
Where the hazels afford him a screen from the heat;
And the scene where his melody charmed me before
Resounds with his sweet-flowing ditty no more.

My fugitive years are all hasting away,
And I must ere long lie as lowly as they,
With a turf on my breast and a stone at my head,
Ere another such grove shall arise in its stead.

'Tis a sight to engage me, if anything can,
To muse on the perishing pleasures of man;
Short-lived as we are, our enjoyments, I see,
Have a still shorter date, and die sooner than we.

COMMENTS OF THE POEM
Semlina Rai 29 December 2020

Very beauiful poem by William Cowper

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gopinath che 01 May 2019

beautiful always in memories

2 0 Reply
Ian Fraser 31 December 2018

I think you mean not so good. I have to disagree. The Cowper's simple classical style is a sharp contrast to the rather overwrought Hopkins and more effective for that. Also the unusual use of the rapid anapaestic rhythm works surprisingly well compared to the rather stumbling Hopkins.

2 3 Reply
john irvine 10 August 2018

a good poem but so good as Hopkins' Binsey Poplars.

2 1 Reply
Ian Fraser 31 December 2018

I think you mean not so good. I have never read the Hopkins, so will do so now.

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