Thursday, April 1, 2010

Daffodils: An Original Poem to Welcome National Poetry Month


We’ve had so much rain where I live lately that I was inspired to write a poem about RAIN the other day--but I decided not to post it on the first day of National Poetry Month. Instead…I wanted to welcome April with a bit of color in a poem I wrote about daffodils—one of my favorite spring flowers.

I saw my first spring daffodil in my mother’s side yard a few days ago. It seemed a brave soldier—weathering the torrential rains and adding a spot of bright yellow to the drab scenery.


Daffodils
by Elaine Magliaro

Daffodils…
dipped in sunlight,
dusted with gold—
brassy blossoms
trumpeting their color
in April gardens

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Two More Daffodil Poems
To an Early Daffodil
by Amy Lowell

Thou yellow trumpeter of laggard Spring!
Thou herald of rich Summer's myriad flowers!
The climbing sun with new recovered powers
Does warm thee into being, through the ring
Of rich, brown earth he woos thee, makes thee fling
Thy green shoots up, inheriting the dowers
Of bending sky and sudden, sweeping showers,
Till ripe and blossoming thou art a thing
To make all nature glad, thou art so gay;
To fill the lonely with a joy untold;
Nodding at every gust of wind to-day,
To-morrow jewelled with raindrops. Always bold
To stand erect, full in the dazzling play
Of April's sun, for thou hast caught his gold.


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The Daffodils
by William Wordsworth

I wandered lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o'er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host, of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

Continuous as the stars that shine
And twinkle on the Milky Way,
They stretched in never-ending line
Along the margin of a bay:
Ten thousand saw I at a glance,
Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.

The waves beside them danced, but they
Out-did the sparkling leaves in glee:
A Poet could not but be gay,
In such a jocund company:
I gazed—and gazed—but little thought
What wealth the show to me had brought:

For oft, when on my couch I lie
In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude;
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils.






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Win a Poetry Book!
Every week during April, I’ll be giving away a children’s poetry book at Wild Rose Reader. If you leave a comment at one of my poetry posts this week, I’ll enter your name in the drawing for a poetry book. If you leave comments at two posts, I'll enter your name twice...and so on.

This week’s prize from Wild Rose Reader will be a copy of Falling Down the Page: A Book of List Poems edited by Georgia Heard.

Book Giveaway Schedule
- First Week of National Poetry Month: April 1-7 (Winner announced on April 8th)
- Second Week of National Poetry Month: April 8-14 (Winner announced on April 15th)
- Third Week of National Poetry Month: April 15- 21 (Winner announced on April 22nd)
- Fourth Week of National Poetry Month: April 22-28 (Winner announced on April 29)
- Final Days of National Poetry Month: April 29-30 (Winner announced on May 1st)

21 comments:

Bridget R. Wilson said...

Great poem, Elaine. I love how you captured the essence of daffodils with only a few lines. You are a true imagist. Ever since college, I can't think of daffodils without thinking Wordsworth. Happy Spring & National Poetry Month!

bridgetwilson4765(at)gmail(dot)com

Elaine Magliaro said...

Bridget,

Thanks. It's funny how ideas for poems pop into one's head. The first couple of lines of this daffodil poem came to me as I was driving to my mother's house about a week ago. I sometimes write rough drafts of poems in my head.

Beth said...

What lovely daffodil poems. I've been re-reading and enjoying Wordsworth's lately (a longtime favorite) but I didn't know the Lowell poem. Thank you for sharing that and for sharing your own as well! Poetry month and spring just seem to go together.

~Beth
befus.beth(at)gmail(dot)com

Elaine Magliaro said...

Beth,

Thanks for stopping by. One can hope that bloggers like me can help poetry to spring to life in April like Mother Nature does during this month.

Jules at 7-Imp said...

Love your poem, Elaine. Thanks for sharing, and happy poetry month!

jama said...

Lovely post! Enjoyed your sweet poem and hearing Jeremy Irons read the Wordsworth poem. It really is a nice way to welcome spring and poetry month!

Anonymous said...

I love daffodils too. There's a stretch of road where people have been adding to them over the years and then they've multiplied on their own and when I drive by, it's just this beautiful sea of sunshine.

Love your poem, especially the idea of them being "brassy blossoms" that then "trumpet their color"

Anonymous said...

"Trumpeting their color" -- love that phrasing. And with all the rain around here lately, our daffodils did proudly, and thankfully, trumpet their color and spirit. Thanks for sharing your poem!

Linda said...

dipped in sunlight,
dusted with gold—

Beautiful! Wonderful poem, Elaine.
Happy Spring!

Katrina said...

As a librarian I do see the importance of teaching children poetry...looks like a cute book.

Benita said...

I love writing and reading poetry. And I love celebrating poetry month. Please enter me in this giveaway.


bgcchs(at)yahoo(dot)com

Julie said...

I love reading poetry and my daughter loves composing poetry.

Beautiful poems about daffodils

aunteegem@yahoo.com

Taffy said...

We have daffodils! Love the poems!

Katy said...

Lovely poems! I loved the Jeremy Irons reading. For some reason, I can't just read poetry, I have to either read it aloud or imagine myself speaking it--otherwise the experience just isn't the same.

Nancye said...

I love spring poems! It is my favorite season of the year!

nancyecdavis AT bellsouth DOT net

Nancye said...

I left comments on several posts. (I would LOVE to win this poetry book so my daughter can read it TO me! :)

nancyecdavis AT bellsouth DOT net

Linda Kish said...

Please include me.

lkish77123 at gmail dot com

Anonymous said...

I love poetry. During my last round of spring cleaning I dug out my poetry books from college for my son to read. I would love to read this one.
debp
twoofakind12@yahoo.com

apple blossom said...

What a neat giveaway. All month long. Love Daffodils.

ABreading4fun [at] gmail [dot] com

Unknown said...

I do a poetry group with dementia residents in a nursing home, this week our theme is daffodils. They are so bright and cherry and we love the poem by William Wordsworth. I found this site and love it--thanks for your poetry and thank you for this site, I am sure to return to often.

Judy

Cheoy Lee said...

"brassy blossoms" - love the musicality of this line!