The Lark Ascending
In the style of George Meredith prompted by Ralph Vaughan Williams. Williams’ piece is one of classical music’s most popular tunes.
Drawing on past experience,
With curious indifference,
wind-surfers twist at Eagle Rock.
Two air-gliders soaring – Peacocks!
At Aireys, warm air rises, beach wide
as on Grampians mount, birds preside.
Oven-crisp wind lifts, whirls, skirls
The still, open area swirls
detached – silence broken – undone.
Lest the noisy cockatoo’s pun,
recall a complete parakeet,
Ariel acrobatics replete,
Plunging, over red clover, roll clear
Country air of blissful freedom.
Calling on past material
I recall how our ethereal,
birds screech loudly, as not to sing
like they do for a British king.
Little brown wings stretch over the earth,
all George Meredith’s verse wordless mirth.
Alauda arvenis – “The Lark
Ascending”, neat words promoted
120 lines of poetry devoted
blending- never condescending.
Shrill,irreflective, unrestrain’d
Rapt, ringing, on the jet sustain’d
Without a break, without a fall,
Sweet-silvery, sheer lyrical,
Perennial, quavering up the chord
Liike myriad dews of sunny sward (1)
Meredith’s bird singing – Dylan
Composer Ralph Vaughan Williams
In five note pentatonic scale,
Wrote a radiant telltale,
Of music fit for English kings –
opening chords – violin strings.
(1) excerpt from The Lark Ascends, George Meredith.
Forget my poem. Please find Vaughan Williams tune “The Lark Ascending” and relax for 15 or 16 minutes with one of the most beautiful tunes.
