The William Cullen Bryant Homestead

Today we had a wonderful visit to the William Cullen Bryant Homestead in Cummington, MA. Bryant was perhaps America's first celebrated poet, doing his best writing in the early part of the 19th century. Sadly, he is very under-appreciated today -- rarely studied in schools and hardly ever mentioned in discussions about great American poets. I love his poems, however, and the visit today was like a pilgrimage for me. Delycia and I walked along 
"The Rivulet Trail", which follows one of Bryant's favorite haunts as a boy, a stream that trickles its way through a majestic old-growth forest. At several places, we paused, almost in reverence, to read one of his poems, including "The Rivulet", about this very stream. Here is another poem that we read along the trail: 

The Yellow Violet

BY WILLIAM CULLEN BRYANT

When beechen buds begin to swell,

  And woods the blue-bird’s warble know,

The yellow violet’s modest bell

  Peeps from the last year’s leaves below.

Ere russet fields their green resume,

  Sweet flower, I love, in forest bare,

To meet thee, when thy faint perfume

  Alone is in the virgin air.

Of all her train, the hands of Spring

  First plant thee in the watery mould,

And I have seen thee blossoming

  Beside the snow-bank’s edges cold.

Thy parent sun, who bade thee view

  Pale skies, and chilling moisture sip,

Has bathed thee in his own bright hue,

  And streaked with jet thy glowing lip.

Yet slight thy form, and low thy seat,

  And earthward bent thy gentle eye,

Unapt the passing view to meet

  When loftier flowers are flaunting nigh.

Oft, in the sunless April day,

  Thy early smile has stayed my walk;

But midst the gorgeous blooms of May,

  I passed thee on thy humble stalk.

So they, who climb to wealth, forget

  The friends in darker fortunes tried.

I copied them—but I regret

  That I should ape the ways of pride.

And when again the genial hour

  Awakes the painted tribes of light,

I’ll not o’erlook the modest flower

  That made the woods of April bright.

Below are some photos from our trip to the homestead . . .

Cia with the homestead behind her

Horseshoe lichen in the forest

We were SO lucky to be here.

Reading "The Rivulet"

Reading "The Yellow Violet"

Absolute dignity and majesty

Ditto