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Poem
October 12, 1805
Herald Of The United States
Warren, Bristol County, Rhode Island
What is this article about?
A goldfinch's first-person lament recalls its free life in nature before capture, caging, and starvation by a cruel swain, ironically thanking him for mercifully ending its suffering through death.
Clipping
OCR Quality
95%
Excellent
Full Text
APOLLO'S FOUNT.
ON A GOLDFINCH.
Starved to Death in his Cage.
TIME was when I was free as air,
The trifles downy feed my fare,
My drink the morning dew;
I perch'd at will on ev'ry spray,
My form genteel, my plumage gay,
My strains for ever new.
But gaudy plumage, prightly strain,
And form genteel, were all in vain,
And of a transient date:
For caught and cag'd, and starv'd to death,
In dying sighs my little breath
Soon pass'd the wiry grate.
Thanks, gentle swain, for all my woes,
And thanks for this effectual close,
And cure of every ill!
More cruelty could none express
And I, if you had shewn me less,
Had been your pris'ner still.
From the Boston Weekly Magazine.
ON A GOLDFINCH.
Starved to Death in his Cage.
TIME was when I was free as air,
The trifles downy feed my fare,
My drink the morning dew;
I perch'd at will on ev'ry spray,
My form genteel, my plumage gay,
My strains for ever new.
But gaudy plumage, prightly strain,
And form genteel, were all in vain,
And of a transient date:
For caught and cag'd, and starv'd to death,
In dying sighs my little breath
Soon pass'd the wiry grate.
Thanks, gentle swain, for all my woes,
And thanks for this effectual close,
And cure of every ill!
More cruelty could none express
And I, if you had shewn me less,
Had been your pris'ner still.
From the Boston Weekly Magazine.
What sub-type of article is it?
Elegy
What themes does it cover?
Death Mourning
Moral Virtue
What keywords are associated?
Goldfinch
Cage
Starved
Death
Cruelty
Bird Lament
Poem Details
Title
On A Goldfinch. Starved To Death In His Cage.
Subject
On A Goldfinch Starved To Death In His Cage
Key Lines
Thanks, Gentle Swain, For All My Woes,
And Thanks For This Effectual Close,
And Cure Of Every Ill!
More Cruelty Could None Express
And I, If You Had Shewn Me Less,
Had Been Your Pris'ner Still.