Blog Entry 2: "The Fairies"

"THE FAIRIES"

by: William Allingham (1824-1889)

P the airy mountain,

Down the rushy glen,

We daren't go a-hunting

For fear of little men;

Wee folk, good folk,

Trooping all together;

Green jacket, red cap,

And white owl's feather!

 

Down along the rocky shore

Some make their home,

They live on crispy pancakes

Of yellow tide-foam;

Some in the reeds

Of the black mountain lake,

With frogs for their watch-dogs,

All night awake.

 

High on the hill-top

The old King sits;

He is now so old and gray

He's nigh lost his wits.

With a bridge of white mist

Columbkill he crosses,

On his stately journeys

From Slieveleague to Rosses;

Or going up with music

On cold starry nights

To sup with the Queen

Of the gay Northern Lights.

 

They stole little Bridget

For seven years long;

When she came down again

Her friends were all gone.

They took her lightly back,

Between the night and morrow,

They thought that she was fast asleep,

But she was dead with sorrow.

They have kept her ever since

Deep within the lake,

On a bed of flag-leaves,

Watching till she wake.

 

By the craggy hill-side,

Through the mosses bare,

They have planted thorn-trees

For pleasure here and there.

If any man so daring

As dig them up in spite,

He shall find their sharpest thorns

In his bed at night.

 

Up the airy mountain,

Down the rushy glen,

We daren't go a-hunting

For fear of little men;

Wee folk, good folk,

Trooping all together;

Green jacket, red cap,

And white owl's feather!

William Allingham Was born March 19th 1824 in Ireland but his parents were of English descent. His mother died when he was only nine years old, a few years later his father sent him off to bording school which mad Allingham unhappy. He returned when his father became ill and worked at a bank where his father was already manager. He published his first book on poetry when in 1850, which was not successful. Throughout his life he published over 15 books that were successful. He worked as an editor from 1874-1879. He married helen Paterson in 1974 who was 24 years younger than him. He died at the age of 64 on november 18th 1889. His poem "The Fairies" was featured in a few modern movies, like "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate factory" and the horor film "Don't look in the basement".

Poem found on Poetry-Archive
for more information on William Allingham check out these sites that I found useful :)
wikipedia
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