Comments on: Help me figure out the name of this poem!

Question: Help me figure out the name of this poem!

razzamatazm — Thu, 13 Sep 2012 15:40:02 -0800

My girlfriend has a favorite poem that involves a cricket (or possibly grasshopper) and a bird. I believe the bird has a red belly. Can you help me find the poem (it may also be a short story). I realize I'm being vague- sorry!

By: tilde

tilde — Thu, 13 Sep 2012 15:44:42 -0800

When the red red robin goes bob bob bobing along, along...

By: razzamatazm

razzamatazm — Thu, 13 Sep 2012 15:47:40 -0800

It's an obscure bird. Definitely not a robin.

By: onlyconnect

onlyconnect — Thu, 13 Sep 2012 15:50:12 -0800

Is it an old fashioned sort of poem/fairy tale? This was the top result when I googled "red bird cricket poem."

By: razzamatazm

razzamatazm — Thu, 13 Sep 2012 15:54:23 -0800

I don't think that's it. In the poem it mentioned the bird by name.

By: razzamatazm

razzamatazm — Thu, 13 Sep 2012 16:12:57 -0800

The bird is a linnet - Still haven't been able to find the poem :(

By: araisingirl

araisingirl — Thu, 13 Sep 2012 16:19:49 -0800

Is it this William Butler Yeats poem?

The Lake Isle of Innisfree
BY WILLIAM BUTLER YEATS
I will arise and go now, and go to Innisfree,
And a small cabin build there, of clay and wattles made;
Nine bean-rows will I have there, a hive for the honey-bee,
And live alone in the bee-loud glade.

And I shall have some peace there, for peace comes dropping slow,
Dropping from the veils of the morning to where the cricket sings;
There midnight's all a glimmer, and noon a purple glow,
And evening full of the linnet's wings.

I will arise and go now, for always night and day
I hear lake water lapping with low sounds by the shore;
While I stand on the roadway, or on the pavements grey,
I hear it in the deep heart's core.

By: Wretch729

Wretch729 — Thu, 13 Sep 2012 16:20:44 -0800

Lake Isle of Innisfree by Yeats includes the stanza:

And I shall have some peace there, for peace comes dropping slow,
Dropping from the veils of the morning to where the cricket sings;
There midnight's all a glimmer, and noon a purple glow,
And evening full of the linnet's wings.

The wikipedia page for linnet features a few other cultural references, is it any of those?

By: razzamatazm

razzamatazm — Thu, 13 Sep 2012 16:34:59 -0800

I think we have a winner!

Thanks all!

By: Multicellular Exothermic

Multicellular Exothermic — Thu, 13 Sep 2012 19:46:56 -0800

Jon Carroll has interesting associations with this poem.