carols in richly cadenced rapture, From lyric throats of amber, of ebony and fawn. The bulbul and the oriole, the honey-bird and shama Flit among high boughs that drip with nectar and with dew, Upon the grass the wandering gull parades its sea-washed silver. The hoopoe and the kingfisher their bronze and sapphire blue. Wild gray pigeons dreaming of a home amid the tree-tops, Fill their beaks with silken down and slender banyan twigs.
But the jade-green gipsy parrots are only gay marauders. And pause upon their sun-ward flight to plunder red ripe figs. In your gracious garden there is joy and fostering freedom. Nesting place and singing space for every feathered thing, O Master of the Birds, grant sanctuary and shelter Also to a homing bird that bears a broken wing.
Glossary h d A visual representation of a word or poem, that refl ects the meaning. Calligram tumult (n) confusion choristers (n) singers in a choir blithely (adv.) without care cadenced (adj.) rhythmic music rapture (n) extreme pleasure amber (n) brownish yellow ebony (n) a hard deep black marauders (n) plunderers sanctuary (n) place of safety homing (n) going home d. Answer the following briefly. ) How do the birds welcome dawn?
) What do the gypsy parrots enjoy? ) What is the poet’s prayer? ) What do the “birds” and “the sanctuary” symbolize? e.
Match the following. Column A Column B . Gull a. blue / Sapphire .
Kingfisher b. silver washed coat . Hoopoe bird c. bronze .
Parrots d. gray . Pigeons e. jade 12th Communicative English Book.indb Page Celebrations of Expressions f.
Complete the paragraph with words from the poem. You may rephrase some words if necessary. The poem is addressed to the of birds. There is joy as the birds sing .
The chanting aura they craft herald the festival of . Birds of multitude , produce richly melody. The birds strive to sing from their throats. The wild grey pigeons of home on the .
The phrase “ ” signifies their aspiration to