Inside: 15 Uplifting Bluebird Poems
It’s a curious thing, the bluebird. It’s one of the few birds that has been universally loved and admired by people from all walks of life, cultures, and religions. Whether it’s because of their beautiful plumage or their sweet song, there’s just something about bluebirds that makes them so special.
And while there are many different species of bluebird, the one that is most commonly associated with happiness and joy is the Eastern Bluebird. It’s a fitting symbol of happiness, considering their cheerful song and beautiful blue color.
In this article, we’ve compiled a list of 15 of the best bluebird poems, written by some of the most celebrated poets in history. We hope you enjoy them!
Classic Bluebird Poems
Seasoned poets like Charles Bukowski, Emily Dickinson, and Hilda Conkling have all written beautiful bluebird poems. The Bluebird Charles Bukowski said, is a prized possession that resides in his deepest heart.
And he’s right.
There is something special about bluebirds and what they mean to us. Here are a few of our favorites:
there’s a bluebird in my heart that
wants to get out
but I’m too tough for him,
I say, stay in there, I’m not going
to let anybody see
you.
there’s a bluebird in my heart that
wants to get out
but I pour whiskey on him and inhale
cigarette smoke
and the whores and the bartenders
and the grocery clerks
never know that
he’s
in there.
—Charles Bukowski
Before you thought of spring,
Except as a surmise,
You see, God bless his suddenness,
A fellow in the skies
Of independent hues,
A little weather-worn,
Inspiriting habiliments
Of indigo and brown.
—Emily Dickenson
Oh bluebird with light red breast,
And your blue back like a feathered sky,
You have to go down south
Before biting winter comes
And my flower-beds are covered with fluff out of the clouds.
Before you go,
Sing me one more song
—Hilda Conkling
When God had made a host of them,
One little flower still lacked a stem
To hold its blossom blue;
So into it He breathed a song,
And suddenly, with petals strong
As wings, away it flew.
—John Bannister Tabb
Blue-bird! on yon leafless tree,
Dost thou carol thus to me,
“Spring is coming! Spring is here?”
Say’st thou so, my birdie dear?
What is that, in misty shroud,
Stealing from the darken’d cloud?
Lo! the snow-flakes’ gathering mound
Settles o’er the whiten’d ground,
Yet thou singest, blithe and clear,
“Spring is coming! Spring is here!”
—Lydia Howard Sigourney
Descriptive Poems about Bluebirds
Bluebirds are beautiful in nature and they can be described in detail with many words, especially through a poem. Even without a quill and ink, you can also write your very own creative bluebird poem.
No print of fox and hare
Driven by dearth
To forage for their meat
Even in dooryard bare
And frosty lawn
Under the peril of the human race;
And then one primrose dawn,
Sweet, sweet, O sweet,
And tender, tender,
The bluebirds woke the happy earth
With song.
—Katherine Lee Bates
In the midst of the poplar that stands by our door,
We planted a bluebird box,
And we hoped before the summer was o’er
A transient pair to coax.
One warm summer’s day the bluebirds came
And lighted on our tree,
But at first the wand’rers were not so tame
But they were afraid of me.
They seemed to come from the distant south,
Just over the Walden wood,
And they skimmed it along with open mouth
Close by where the bellows stood.
—Henry David Thoreau
As I went out a Crow
In a low voice said, “Oh,
I was looking for you.
How do you do?
I just came to tell you
To tell Lesley (will you?)
That her little Bluebird
Wanted me to bring word
That the north wind last night
That made the stars bright
And made ice on the trough
Almost made him cough
His tail feathers off.
He just had to fly!
But he sent her Good-by,
And said to be good,
And wear her red hood,
And look for skunk tracks
In the snow with an ax—
And do everything!
And perhaps in the spring
He would come back and sing.”
—Robert Frost
And soft she sighed–Too soon he came;
On wings of hope he met the knell;
His heavenly tint the dust shall tame;
Ah, some misgiving had been well.
But, look, the clear ethereal hue
In June it makes the Larkspur’s dower;
It is the self-same welkin-blue–
The Bird’s transfigured in the Flower.
—Herman Melville
A bright blue bird
from distant tree
flies into my house.
When it flies out, it leaves behind
its bright blue
The blue hops down
becomes first one word
and then, another,
till, finally, it assumes the face of a poem
Before long, the floor is an upside down-blue sky
and the blue of the poem has made its way
into my ink filler,
Into my notebook
—K. Srilata
Optimistic Bluebird Poems
The bluebird is a symbol of good fortune and happiness, among other things. So, it’s no surprise that there are many poems about bluebirds that are optimistic and full of hope. These poems will lift your spirits and make you feel good about the world.
Do you hear the calling?
My bluebird is calling.
My little bluebird’s promising me blue skies that will soon be falling.
Don’t you see the blue skies falling?
Soon the sun will be shining.
—Patricia Kelley
This bluebird is special,
so cheery and merry too;
He’s here for just one reason,
to bring happiness to you!
Just keep him close
Or carry him,
enjoy each and every day;
This little Bluebird of Happiness,
will bring smiles along the way!
—A.S. Waldrop
You are a grace
never mastered by earth’s blue eye
at foot of the glacier, open to a cloudless sky—
nor recognized by idle school children
staring out the window at what happens to be a blue ribbon
tied to a telephone wire
You are a flash of living, breathing blue.
And Lord what am I
that such a bird can escape from the cage of my skull and fly
—George Young
“Out of the South I wing,
Blown on the breath of Spring:
The little faltering song
That in my beak I bring
Some maiden shall catch and sing,
Filling it with the longing
And the blithe, unfettered thronging
Of her spirit’s blossoming.
—George Parsons Lathrop
The bluebirds are returning with good luck and good fortune
Watch them swoop in flittering flutters
Hear them sing in magical melodies
As charming as snow white, so the fairest of all birds
—Kiesha Shepard
More Poems You’ll Love
- 19 Incredible April Poems – Being the last gloomy month before the vibrancy of springtime breathes life into the world around us once more, April is said to symbolize renewal and rebirth in many art forms.
- 13 Best Tulip Poems For Spring – Of the thousands of flowers in the world, tulips are among the most recognized. They are very popular in paintings, drawings, and illustrations, and are known for their vibrant colors like red, pink, yellow, and orange.
- 19 Powerful Poems About Waves – The ocean is a place where many of us feel most at peace. It is massive, powerful, and ever-changing. And when we look at its waves, we are reminded of the constant ebb and flow in all of nature’s creations, and how we as humans fit into this world.