The Birds Do Thus

The Birds Do Thus - meaning Summary

Choosing Sleep as Refuge

The poem presents a speaker who adopts sleep as a deliberate refuge from brief unhappiness. Using the image of birds that "sing a while / At eve for us," the speaker explains giving away a day—sleeping through it—to hasten reunion or avoid pain. Rather than mourn lost time, the speaker claims life is long enough to spare unhappy days and expresses contentment with this choice. The poem frames sleep not as escape or waste but as an active, serene decision to preserve emotional well-being and prioritize pleasant moments.