by Katherine Harris Bradley (1846 - 1914), as Michael Field
The Woods are Still
Language: English
The woods are still that were so gay at primrose-springing, Through the dry woods the brown field-fares are winging, And I alone of love, of love am singing. I sing of love to the haggard palmer-worm, Of love ’mid the crumpled oak-leaves that once were firm, Laughing, I sing of love at the summer’s term. Of love, on a path where the snake’s cast skin is lying, Blue feathers on the floor, and no cuckoo flying; I sing to the echo of my own voice crying.
Confirmed with The Oxford Book of Victorian Verse, ed. by Arthur Quiller-Couch, 1922.
Text Authorship:
- by Katherine Harris Bradley (1846 - 1914), as Michael Field, "The Woods are Still" [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by John Theodore Livingston Raynor (1909 - 1970), "The Woods are Still", op. 311 (1951) [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2023-04-25
Line count: 9
Word count: 86