WINGS.

 A sense of wings—

Soft downy wings and fair—

Great wings that whistle as they sweep

Along the still gulfs—empty, deep—

Of thin blue air.

Doves’ wings that follow,

Doves’ wings that fold,

Doves’ wings that flutter down

To nestle in your hold.

Doves’ wings that settle,

Doves’ wings that rest,

Doves’ wings that brood so warm

Above the little nest.

Larks’ wings that rise and rise,

Climbing the rosy¹ skies—

Fold and drop down

To birdlings brown.

Light wings of wood-birds, that one scarce believes

Moved in the leaves.

The quick, shy flight

Of wings that flee in fright—

A start as swift as light—

Only the shaken air

To tell that wings were there.

Broad wings that beat for many days

Above the land wastes and the water ways;

Beating steadily² on and on,

Through dark and cold,

Through storms untold³,

Till the far sun and summer land is won.

And wings—

Wings that unfold

With such wide sweep before your would-be hold—

Such glittering sweep of whiteness—sun on snow—

Such mighty⁴ plumes—strong-ribbed, strong-webbed—strong-knit to go

From earth to heaven!

Hear the air flow back

In their wide track!

Feel the sweet wind these wings displace

Beat on your face!

See the great arc of light like rising rockets trail

They leave in leaving—

They avail—

These wings—for flight!

1 rosy   

adj.美好的，乐观的，玫瑰色的

参考例句：

• She got a new job and her life looks rosy.她找到一份新工作，生活看上去很美好。
• She always takes a rosy view of life.她总是对生活持乐观态度。

2 steadily   

adv.稳定地；不变地；持续地

参考例句：

• The scope of man's use of natural resources will steadily grow.人类利用自然资源的广度将日益扩大。
• Our educational reform was steadily led onto the correct path.我们的教学改革慢慢上轨道了。

3 untold   

adj.数不清的，无数的

参考例句：

• She has done untold damage to our chances.她给我们的机遇造成了不可估量的损害。
• They suffered untold terrors in the dark and huddled together for comfort.他们遭受着黑暗中的难以言传的种种恐怖，因而只好挤在一堆互相壮胆。

4 mighty   

adj.强有力的；巨大的

参考例句：

• A mighty force was about to break loose.一股巨大的力量即将迸发而出。
• The mighty iceberg came into view.巨大的冰山出现在眼前。