O birds, your perfect virtues bring,
Your song, your forms, your rhythmic flight,
Your manners for your heart’s delight,
Nestle in hedge, or barn, or roof,
Here weave your chamber weather-proof,
Forgive our harms, and condescend
To men, as to a lubber friend,
And, generous, teach his awkward race
Courage, and probity, and grace!
(Text from Ralph Waldo Emerson's "May Day")
Just a quick note...I had to look a few of these words up, so in case you also wondered, a lubber = a clumsy person and probity = integrity or uprightness. Am I the only one who didn't know those words?
I'm happy today to share with Sunday Sketches!
I LOVE your birds, especially the cardinal and the bluejay, because of their sweet expressions. However, the little swallow and finch are awfully cute too. Blessings! (By the way, I would have had to look up those words too. LOL!)
ReplyDeleteSuch a wonderful post! I love birds, and that poem is so beautiful! I didn't know those words either, but I'm used to reading over words that I don't understand, since English is not my first language. As long as I get the general meaning, I'm happy ;-)
ReplyDeleteLovely birds.
ReplyDeleteThese are beautiful birds! They go great with the poem.
ReplyDeleteHappy Easter!
Hello Janice, your birds are so sweet and so very well done, I love the colors you have used. I keep going back to look at them, they look so real!( I'd never heard of those words either). Have a great day, blessings to you! xx
ReplyDeleteYour birds are gorgeous and so appropriate for me at the moment as we have discovered so many different species of birds coming to feed at our bird table up in our new Scottish home. I had heard the word Lubber but only in the context of land lubber which I believe is what sailors would call folk who stay on terra firma!
ReplyDeleteyour birds are fab and I enjoyed the poem with them! Happy Easter!
ReplyDeleteLove your birds and your pen and ink style ~ wonderful poem also ~ Happy Easter ^_^
ReplyDeleteThanks for visiting and commenting.
Just stunning! How lovely to meet you :) Happy Easter!
ReplyDeleteManonX
how cute & adorable? what is it about this time of year that makes us want to draw birds? I have noticed quit a few this week
ReplyDeleteLovely birds with such characters and characteristic postures! Beautifully done!
ReplyDeleteJanice, your birds are absolutely beautiful. Quite stunning. Wow. I wish I could have such a smooth feel/look to my watercolor paintings. Beautiful. Thank you for sharing. :)
ReplyDeleteLovely! I especially like the sparrow :)
ReplyDeleteI love Emerson writings and you've illustrated this poem so beautifully!
ReplyDeletevisiting from sunday sketches.
Love those birds, beautifully done... Happy Easter :)
ReplyDeleteyou've captured these birds with sweet personality...and love the emerson quote...
ReplyDeleteOh goodness! What beautiful birds! I am loving the red cardinal! Thank you for sharing!
ReplyDeleteYour birds are wonderful and i love how you have combined them with the poem.
ReplyDeleteYour sketching is really evolving into something wonderous....no I didn't know those words either. xox
ReplyDeleteI'd never heard the word lubber - the closest I'd come was "landlubber", and now I understand that one so much better!
ReplyDeleteLove your beautiful birds, that piece of poetry fit so well with them :)
Absolutely Wonderful, Your sketches illustrate the prose beautifully Janice!!! Must say I did not know those words either.
ReplyDeletelovely lovely!!! oh I miss my birds so much! the squirrels won and we quit..I miss them. your sketches are fabulous!
ReplyDeleteI am your newest follower..pls follow back if you can.
Your birds have got such wonderful expressions and personalities. I love them.
ReplyDeletexxx
Sue