English Poems Index


The Poem :


It is only a little twig

With a green bud at the end

But if you plant it,

And water it,

And set it where the sun will be above it,

It will grow into a tall bush

With many flowers,

And leaves which thrust hither and thither

Sparkling.

From its roots will come freshness,

And beneath it the grass-blades

Will bend and recover themselves,

And clash one upon another

In the blowing wind.

But if you take my twig

And throw it into a closet

With mousetraps and blunted tools,

It will shrivel and waste.

And, some day,

When you open the door,

You will think it an old twisted nail,

And sweep it into the dust bin

With other rubbish.


By Amy Lowell


About The Author :

Amy Lowell (1874-1925) was an American poet of great accomplishment. She wrote essays, translated the works of others and wrote literary biographies, including one about John Keats, the poet. Her work is full of imagery, so she is known as an Imagist poet. Her book W'hat's O'Clock was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in 1926.


Words to know :


closet : a large cabinet or area like a cupboard, for storage

hither and thither : here and there

shrivel : shrink and wither

thrust : push, drive, force