William Wordsworth

To the Cuckoo: Not the whole warbling grove

For works with similar titles, see To the Cuckoo.
Not the whole warbling grove in concert heard
When sunshine follows shower, the breast can thrill
Like the first summons, Cuckoo! of thy bill,

Bird's Musical Call

The cuckoo's two-note call is being treated as a profound musical signal, not just a simple bird sound.

With its twin notes inseparably paired.
The captive 'mid damp vaults unsunned, unaired,
Measuring the periods of his lonely doom,
That cry can reach; and to the sick man's room

Universal Emotional Reach

The poem suggests the cuckoo's call transcends human suffering, reaching even captives and the sick.

Sends gladness, by no languid smile declared.

Survival Beyond Species

Wordsworth implies the cuckoo's song will outlast even mighty predators like eagles and lions.

The lordly eagle-race through hostile search
May perish; time may come when never more
The wilderness shall hear the lion roar;
But, long as cock shall crow from household perch
To rouse the dawn, soft gales shall speed thy wing,
And thy erratic voice be faithful to the Spring!
This work was published before January 1, 1931, and is in the public domain worldwide because the author died at least 100 years ago.
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Source Wikipedia Poetry Foundation

Reading Notes

The Cuckoo as Symbolic Messenger

Wordsworth transforms the cuckoo from a mere bird into a symbolic harbinger of renewal. Its two-note call becomes more than sound—it's a universal signal of hope that penetrates human isolation.

The poem suggests the cuckoo's voice represents something eternal and resilient. While powerful species like eagles and lions may vanish, the bird's seasonal return remains constant, symbolizing nature's persistent rhythms against human transience.

Romantic Nature as Emotional Landscape

[CONTEXT: Wordsworth was a key Romantic poet who saw nature as spiritually transformative.] The poem demonstrates how natural phenomena can transcend physical limitations, reaching into human emotional spaces.

Notice how the cuckoo's call can penetrate a 'captive's' dark vault and a 'sick man's room'—suggesting nature's power to provide comfort and connection beyond human-constructed boundaries.