#charlesgeorgedouglasroberts — Public Fediverse posts

“The Brook in February” by Sir Charles George Douglas Roberts

Charles G. D. Roberts (1860-1943) was a prominent Canadian author and public intellectual, often referred to as the father of Canadian poetry. He wrote numerous works of fiction, but he also did a lot of nature and travel writing, largely focused on Canadian themes.

The short poem presented here was first published in his collection “The Book of the Native” in 1896. Set in the cold and silent month of February, it captures the tension between winter’s stillness and the hidden vitality of the coming spring.

If you’re an English language learner, don’t miss the vocabulary exercise found below! (Answer key available.)

A snowy path for squirrel and fox,
It winds between the wintry firs.
Snow-muffled are its iron rocks,
And o'er its stillness nothing stirs.

But low, bend low a listening ear!
Beneath the mask of moveless white
A babbling whisper you shall hear—
Of birds and blossoms, leaves and light.

VOCABULARY EXERCISE

Match the following words from the poem with the definitions:

WIND  (v.)  |  FIR  (n.)  |  MUFFLED  (adj.)  |  BABBLE  (v.)  |  BLOSSOM  (n.) 

• wrapped up, enveloped
• to make the low, continuous noise of water flowing over stones
• a small flower on a tree or plant
• an evergreen tree with leaves like needles
• to have many twists and bends

To check your answers, please click here.

ADDITIONAL LINKS

Sir Charles George Douglas Roberts (The Canadian Encyclopedia)

E-book versions of C. G. D. Roberts’ works (Project Gutenberg)

NOTES

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COVER IMAGE CREDIT

Photo by Richard Wang via Unsplash