Whose Are the Little Beds, I Asked
poem 142
Whose Are the Little Beds, I Asked - meaning Summary
Garden as Child's Nursery
The speaker asks who owns the "little beds" spread across the valleys and is answered by a listing of flowers presented as children. Each blossom is named and cared for, with a maternal figure humming a lullaby at their cradles. The poem personifies plants and seasons to present springtime as a nursery, emphasizing gentle nurture, cyclical awakening, and the intimacy between flowers, weather, and pollinators.
Read Complete AnalysesWhose are the little beds, I asked Which in the valleys lie? Some shook their heads, and others smiled And no one made reply. Perhaps they did not hear, I said, I will inquire again Whose are the beds the tiny beds So thick upon the plain? ‘Tis Daisy, in the shortest A little further on Nearest the door to wake the Ist Little Leontoden. ‘Tis Iris, Sir, and Aster Anemone, and Bell Bartsia, in the blanket red And chubby Daffodil. Meanwhile, at many cradles Her busy foot she plied Humming the quaintest lullaby That ever rocked a child. Hush! Epigea wakens! The Crocus stirs her lids Rhodora’s cheek is crimson, She’s dreaming of the woods! Then turning from them reverent Their bedtime ’tis, she said The Bumble bees will wake them When April woods are red.
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