To the Cuckoo: William Wordsworth

O blithe New-comer ! I have heard,

I hear thee and rejoice.

O Cuckoo ! shall I call thee Bird,

Or but a wandering Voice?

While I am lying on the grass

Thy twofold shout I hear,

From hill to hill it seems to pass,

At once far off, and near.

Thrice welcome, darling of the Spring !

Even yet thou art to me

No bird, but an invisible thing,

A voice, a mystery.

Summary: ‘To the Cuckoo’, written by William Wordsworth is a poem that is addressed to a Cuckoo bird. This poem has been written in admiration and glorification of the cuckoo. The cuckoo becomes a symbol of beauty, innocence and childhood for the poet. The poet hears the cuckoo is singing in a garden. Her song reminds him of the golden days of his childhood. The poet calls the cuckoo a happy stranger. He enjoys her song, but he is unable to see her. The cuckoo is more like a wandering voice than a bird to him.