Poem-a-Day - "To a Daisy" by Alice Meynell

Poem-a-Day is reader-supported. Your gift today will help the Academy of American Poets continue to publish the work of 260 poets each year, and share this series with 320,000 readers every day.

March 25, 2023

To a Daisy

Alice Meynell

Slight as thou art, thou art enough to hide,
Like all created things, secrets from me,
And stand a barrier to eternity.
And I, how can I praise thee well and wide

From where I dwell—upon the hither side?
Thou little veil for so great mystery,
When shall I penetrate all things and thee,
And then look back? For this I must abide,

Till thou shalt grow and fold and be unfurled
Literally between me and the world.
Then shall I drink from in beneath a spring,

And from a poet’s side shall read his book.
O daisy mine, what will it be to look
From God’s side even of such a simple thing?

This poem is in the public domain. Published in Poem-a-Day on March 25, 2023, by the Academy of American Poets.

Subscribe to the Poem-a-Day Podcast

“To a Daisy” appeared in Alice Meynell’s first collection, Preludes (Henry S. King & Co., 1875). In “‘The Tides of the Mind’: Alice Meynell’s Poetry of Perception,” Maria Frawley, chair of the department of English at George Washington University, writes that “the speaker of ‘To a Daisy,’ an early sonnet, sees in the flower a kind of secrecy akin to the solitude so often represented in poems about individuals, but the poem progresses to foreground the perspective of the poet, who stands, according to the poem, ‘upon the hither side.’ [. . .] Asking first ‘when shall I . . . then look back,’ and later ‘what will it be to look,’ the poem juxtaposes the relativity of the poet’s temporal perspective to the spatial (through its references to the daisy standing ‘between me and the world’ and the promise that the poet will ‘drink from in beneath a spring’). Ultimately the temporal and spatial are united through reference to the ‘hither side,’ the ‘poet’s side,’ and ‘God’s side,’ which cumulatively enable Meynell to underscore variations of perspective within the poem more generally.”

Alice Christiana Gertrude Meynell, born on October 11, 1847, in London, was a poet, critic, essayist, and editor. She was the author of many titles, including Later Poems (John Lane, 1901), Collected Poems of Alice Meynell (Burns and Oates, 1913), and Ten Poems (Romney Street Press, 1915). She died on November 27, 1922.

Preludes
(Henry S. King & Co., 1875)

“Before Quiet” by Hazel Hall
read more

“Chant of Spring” by Elsa Gidlow
read more

Advertisement: Join the Academy of American Poets for their annual National Poetry Month celebration on April 26. Click to register free.

Thanks to Diane Seuss, author of frank: sonnets (Graywolf Press, 2021), who curated Poem-a-Day for this month’s weekdays. Read or listen to a Q&A about Seuss’s curatorial approach and find out more about our guest editors for the year.

“Poem-a-Day is brilliant because it makes space in the everyday racket for something as meaningful as a poem.” —Tracy K. Smith

If this series is meaningful to you, join the community of Poem-a-Day supporters by making a gift today. Now serving more than 320,000 daily subscribers, this publication is only possible thanks to the contributions of readers like you.

donate

Copyright © 2023 The Academy of American Poets, All rights reserved.
You are receiving this email because you opted in via our website.

Our mailing address is:

The Academy of American Poets

75 Maiden Lane

St #901

New York, NY 10038

Add us to your address book

View this email in your browser

Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from all Academy messages.

For any other questions, please visit the Poem-a-Day FAQ page.

Older messages

"The Moon Is in Labor" by Gail Wronsky

Friday, March 24, 2023

At least she's pretending to be, / in sisterly solidarity. Facebook Twitter Instagram Support Poem-a-Day March 24, 2023 The Moon Is in Labor Gail Wronsky At least she's pretending to be, in

Andrew Bird, Daniel Dae Kim, Ada Limón, Shantell Martin, and more will share poems for National Poetry Month on April 26

Thursday, March 23, 2023

"A Monstrous Catalpa Tree Grows from a Drain" by Regan Good

Thursday, March 23, 2023

You say your sunflowers are fifteen feet tall? Facebook Twitter Instagram Support Poem-a-Day March 23, 2023 A Monstrous Catalpa Tree Grows from a Drain Regan Good You say your sunflowers are fifteen

"Snail-Picking" by Onyedikachi Chinedu

Wednesday, March 22, 2023

The weatherman reports rain Facebook Twitter Instagram Support Poem-a-Day March 22, 2023 Snail-Picking Onyedikachi Chinedu The weatherman reports rain to a crew of snail-pickers through an old TV. They

Join us for the Blaney Lecture

Tuesday, March 21, 2023

March 21, 2023 Spring Equinox “Near the End of April” by William Stanley Braithwaite “Cherry blossoms” by Toi Derricotte “When the Green Lies over the Earth” by Angelina Weld Grimké “Easter” by Emily

‘Extraction 2’ Director Sam Hargrave Trains Just to Keep Up with Chris Hemsworth

Wednesday, May 31, 2023

View in Browser Men's Health SHOP MVP EXCLUSIVES SUBSCRIBE 'Extraction 2' Director Sam Hargrave Says He Trains to Keep Up with Chris Hemsworth 'Extraction 2' Director Sam Hargrave

Four Ways to Charge a Phone When the Power Goes Out

Wednesday, May 31, 2023

You can still charge your phone, even if you don't have electricity or a power bank.... ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ Do everything better Wednesday, May 31, 2023 Hacks Four Ways to

'He Put a Dupe in a Little Blue Box'

Wednesday, May 31, 2023

What's new today on the Cut — covering style, self, culture, and power, plus interviews, profiles, columns, and commentary from our editors. Brand Logo WEDNESDAY, MAY 31 peak dupe “He Put a Dupe in

An Eater’s guide to Prince Edward Island

Wednesday, May 31, 2023

An ode to the Indian cookbook that introduced many Americans to the cuisine ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

Introducing: the shoes we’ll be wearing all summer long

Wednesday, May 31, 2023

Cariuma's cult- and celeb-fave OCA Low sneakers have more than 40k five-star reviews for a (bunch of) reason(s). They're cool looking, sustainably made, and incredibly comfy to name a few.

WIN $15,000 for a style makeover!

Wednesday, May 31, 2023

Inspire Your Style $15000 Sweepstakes ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

Grocery Shopping Mistakes Costing You Money, How WD-40 Repels Wasps, Grilling versus Barbecuing, and more

Wednesday, May 31, 2023

Tip of the Day: Want a dead-simple way to peel garlic? Microwave it for 10-20 seconds and the clove will slip right out of the skin. Read in Browser Logo for LifeSavvy May 31, 2023 STUFF WE LIKE These

Airport Reading

Wednesday, May 31, 2023

What Do You Think You're Looking At? #112 ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

How to Avoid Another Debt Limit Debacle

Wednesday, May 31, 2023

Some seem to be learning the wrong lessons from the mostly drama-free extension of the debt limit ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

renaissance

Wednesday, May 31, 2023

on pop concerts ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌