Invocation to Spring - An 1859 Ohio Poem

Spring! beautiful Spring!

Come to this desolate, dreary world of ours,

Come with thy breath of balm — thy gift of flowers,

They gentle birds that sing

In sunny bowers;

Come with thy gladsome hours,

Spring! beautiful spring!

 

Earth is aweary of its winter sleep,

And longs to waken into life again;

To see the budding vines and grasses creep

Along the cheerful plain;

Oh! beautiful Spring!

These and like beauties in thy gentle train!

 

Come with thy children three —

The stormy March that weepth all the day —

The fickle April, and the flowery May,

O! It were a happiness to see

Far up on high,

The clear blue sky,

Like a bright beauteous and eternal thing,

Spring! beautiful Spring!

 

What time the primrose, with a keen delight,

Comes peeping upward from the fallow ground;

What time the swallow, in his rapid flight

About the barn door, circleth round and round;

I love to walk abroad and trace

On Nature's face

The gladness of thy coming, and all to sing

With bird, and flower, and bee,

Sweet praise to thee,

Spring! beautiful Spring!

 

Come, then sweet Spring!

Come to this desolate, weary world of ours;

Come with thy breath of balm, thy gift of flowers;

Thy gentle birds that sing

In sunny bowers!

Come with thy gladsome hours,

O! beautiful Spring!

And bring, aye, bring anear,

Sweet childhood of the year.

Joy, health and freshness on thy dewey wing,

Spring! beautiful Spring!

April 22, 1859. Chardon Jeffersonian Democrat 10(16): 1.