To The Cuckoo

In the first stanza, the poet greets the cuckoo bird with familiarity, indicating that he has heard its call before. Referring to the cuckoo as a "blithe new-comer" implies that it is carefree and not bound by the restrictions of human life. The bird's joyful nature is highlighted as it is free from worldly worries. The poet feels delighted as the melodious voice of the cuckoo bird evokes pleasant memories.

The third and fourth lines of the stanza imply that the poet has never actually seen the bird, but only knows it by its call. He questions whether to call the cuckoo a bird or simply a wandering voice, indicating his uncertainty about the bird's true identity.

The second stanza is describing the experience of the poet lying on the grass and hearing the sound of the cuckoo's call. The phrase "Thy twofold shout" refers to the two-part call of the cuckoo bird - the original sound and its echo. The poet hears this call as it echoes from hill to hill, creating the impression that the sound is both far away and nearby at the same time.

The Cuckoo's song fills the landscape with its melodies. The fact that the poet is lying on the grass while hearing the cuckoo's song emphasizes his close connection to nature. The use of the word "shout" also suggests a certain urgency and vitality to the bird's call.

Although the cuckoo sings only for the valley where there is sunshine and flowers, its sweet song brings back many memories to the poet. While the cuckoo bird's song is a tribute to the valley's beauty, for the poet, it holds a deeper meaning. It serves as a reminder of days gone by, transporting him back to his past.

These memories are described as "visionary hours" as they can only be imagined and not experienced again. This implies that the poet's recollection of the cuckoo bird goes back to his childhood, which is indicated in the first stanza where he mentions having heard the cuckoo's song before. Therefore, the cuckoo's voice acts as a trigger that revives the poet's childhood memories.

In this fourth stanza, the poet expresses his enthusiastic welcome to the cuckoo bird, addressing it as the beloved of the spring season. The phrase "Thrice welcome" signifies the poet's delight in welcoming the bird back for the third time.

However, the poet clarifies that he has never actually seen the cuckoo bird in real life. Instead, he perceives it as an invisible entity, known only by its voice and considered a mystery to him. To the poet, the cuckoo is not merely a bird but a voice that evokes strong emotions and memories, which he associates with the arrival of spring.

In this stanza, the poet is talking about how he used to listen to the cuckoo's call in his schoolboy days. The cry of the cuckoo was so unique and captivating that it made him look around in all directions - in bushes, trees, and even up in the sky.

He searched every possible place to locate the bird and satisfy his curiosity. The cuckoo's voice had fascinated the poet and fueled his need to see the source of such a beautiful melody.

In the sixth stanza, the poet expresses his persistent efforts to search for the cuckoo bird, even though he has never seen it before. He says that he used to roam around the woods and greenery, hoping to catch a glimpse of the bird. However, despite his constant search, he was never able to find it.

Nevertheless, the poet still considers the bird a hope and a love, indicating the emotional attachment he has developed with the bird's voice over the years. He still longs to find the bird and see it with his own eyes, implying that his desire to find the source of the voice still persists.

In this stanza, the poet expresses how he can still listen to the cuckoo bird's cry and be transported back to his childhood memories. He describes lying on the ground and listening to the bird's voice until he can relive the golden time of his childhood.

The poet's romanticism is reflected in his characterization of his childhood as a "golden time," emphasizing how precious and important it is to him. By listening to the cuckoo's cry, the poet is able to revisit and relive those cherished moments of his past.

In the last stanza, the poet expresses his admiration for the cuckoo by calling him a "blessed bird". He goes on to describe the earth as a place that seems like it belongs in a fairy tale, with elements of enchantment and magic that are fit for the cuckoo to call home. The use of the word "again" suggests that the arrival of the cuckoo has transformed the earth into this kind of place.