Poetry month

[dreamflower]

A great many of my very favorite poems are from my early childhood. I was long ago corrupted by the 1954 Childcrafts. The ones with the orange covers and the marvelous illustrations.

This one is from The Wind in the Willows

The Duck's Ditty
by Kenneth Grahame

“All along the backwater,
Through the rushes tall,
Ducks are a-dabbling,
Up tails all!

Ducks' tails, drakes' tails,
Yellow feet a-quiver,
Yellow bills all out of sight
Busy in the river!

Slushy green undergrowth
Where the roach swim--
Here we keep our larder,
Cool and full and dim.

Everyone for what he likes!
We like to be
Heads down, tails up,
Dabbling free!

High in the blue above
Swifts whirl and call--
We are down a-dabbling
Up tails all!”*

Comments

[shirebound]

Ducks' tails, drakes' tails,
Yellow feet a-quiver,
Yellow bills all out of sight
Busy in the river!

Love it. (And I can imagine Tom Bombadil reciting that!)

[dreamflower]

I think it sounds very hobbity. I have little Pippin sing it in one of my stories!

[shirebound]

I'd love the link so I can enjoy that all over again. :)

[dreamflower]

Your wish is my command, dear!

Morning at Bucklebury Ferry
http://www.storiesofarda.com/chapterview.asp?sid=3043&cid=14822

[shirebound]

Now *that* will send me off to sleep with a smile on my face. :)

[dreamflower]

*tucks you into your little nest with soft blankies*

[elandulin.livejournal.com]

Ah! I always liked that one, too. Brilliant voice!

[dreamflower]

Isn't it though! I love TWitW--and Ratty is quite the poet!

In my Childcraft it is on the opposite page from "Over in the meadow in the sand, in the sun", and the beautiful colored illustrations illuminate both pages together! I just love it.

[topaztook.livejournal.com]

You are making me nostalgic for visiting my grandparents' house as a child and reading through the entire Childcraft collection. (My cousin has them now.)

[dreamflower]

I love those books. We had several different encyclopedias when I was a kid, and the two sets I have are the Childcraft and the Richard's Topical. Both of them I spent hours poring over. And I still get them out from time to time.

[grey-wonderer.livejournal.com]

I love that poem and I love Wind in the Willows. Thanks for posting that.

[dreamflower]

Glad you enjoyed! ((hugs))

[ansostuff.livejournal.com]

How cute! :D I can just see them, lol.

[dreamflower]

I know--it's a very vivid image he paints!

[mews1945.livejournal.com]

I love that poem. It's so visual, especially since I've helped swim baby ducks for my animal rehabber friends.

[dreamflower]

It's such a clear picture of what's happening, and seems to make perfect sense in the ducks' voices!