Gerard Manley Hopkins (1844–89). Poems. 1918.
15. The Caged Skylark
A
Man’s mounting spirit in his bone-house, mean house, dwells—
That bird beyond the remembering his free fells;
This in drudgery, day-labouring-out life’s age.
Both sing sometímes the sweetest, sweetest spells,
Yet both droop deadly sómetimes in their cells
Or wring their barriers in bursts of fear or rage.
Why, hear him, hear him babble and drop down to his nest,
But his own nest, wild nest, no prison.
But uncumbered: meadow-down is not distressed
For a rainbow footing it nor he for his bónes rísen.