Author: Ella Wheeler Wilcox

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    The world grows green on a thousand hills - 
         By a thousand willows the bees are humming,
    And a million birds by a million rills,
         Sing of the golden season coming.
    But, gazing out on the sun-kist lea,
         And hearing a thrush and a blue-bird singing,
    I feel that the summer is all for me,
         And all for me are the joys it is bringing.

    All for me the bumble-bee
         Drones his song in the perfect weather;
    And, just on purpose to sing to me,
         Thrush and blue-bird came North together.
    Just for me, in red and white,
         Bloom and blossom the fields of clover;
    And all for me and my delight
         The wild Wind follows and plays the lover.

    The mighty sun, with a scorching kiss
         (I have read, and heard, and do not doubt it)
    Has burned up a thousand worlds like this,
         And never stopped to think about it.
    And yet I believe he hurries up
         Just on purpose to kiss my flowers - 
    To drink the dew from the lily-cup,
         And help it to grow through golden hours.

    I know I am only a speck of dust,
         An individual mite of masses,
    Clinging upon the outer crust
         Of a little ball of cooling gases.
    And yet, and yet, say what you will,
         And laugh, if you please, at my lack of reason,
    For me wholly, and for me still,
         Blooms and blossoms the Summer season.

    Nobody else has ever heard
         The story the Wind to me discloses;
    And none but I and the humming-bird
         Can read the hearts of the crimson roses.
    Ah, my Summer - my love - my own!
         The world grows glad in your smiling weather;
    Yet all for me, and me alone,
         You and your Court came North together.

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Type of Poem: Lyric Poem

Date Written:

Date Published:

Language: English

Keywords: Public Domain

Source: Public Domain Collection

Publisher:

Rights/Permissions: Public Domain

Comments/Notes: This poem, rich in vivid imagery and lush with nature references, explores themes of individuality, self-importance, and the human relationship to nature. It uses an optimistic tone to emphasize the individual's perception of their own significance in the grand scheme of nature.

The poem's structure is consistent, with each stanza maintaining a specific rhyme scheme, and all stanzas equal in length. This structure contributes to the poem's rhythm and helps create a sense of harmony, mirroring the speaker's harmonious relationship with nature. The repeated use of the phrase "all for me" signifies an egocentric view, suggesting that the natural world exists solely for the speaker's pleasure. The speaker acknowledges their insignificance as a "speck of dust," yet still insists on their unique relationship to the summer season.

The poem employs several literary devices to enhance its imagery. The use of personification, such as the sun that "hurries up just on purpose to kiss my flowers," and the wind that "plays the lover," brings the natural world to life. Simultaneously, it emphasizes the speaker's perceived personal relationship with these elements. Metaphor is also used, with the speaker likening themself to a "mite of masses," further underscoring their insignificance yet highlighting their belief in their personal importance.

Overall, the poem presents a playful contradiction between the speaker's acknowledged insignificance and their belief in their unique connection to nature. This tension is what gives the poem its depth and intrigue, inviting readers to reflect on their own relationship with nature.