A man waits in a quiet glen as evening falls, the bell from the village marking the hour. He’s restless, longing for his lover, Maria. At first, he tries to persuade himself that the soft sounds around him are only the breeze and a bird’s fading song, but his heart knows better. The call he hears is really Maria’s voice, as sweet and faithful as a woodlark cheering its mate. The speaker’s uncertainty melts into pure joy when she finally arrives. The two walk together along the flower-lined banks of the River Cree, renewing their promises to each other. The mood is intimate and tender, suffused with a gentle, hopeful calm. Nature itself seems to conspire in their happiness, wrapping the scene in birdsong, warm air, and the glow of the evening star.
449. Song—The Flowery banks of Cree — Summary
HERE is the glen, and here the bower All underneath the birchen shade; The village-bell has told the hour, O what can stay my lovely maid?
’Tis not Maria’s whispering call; ’Tis but the balmy breathing gale, Mixt with some warbler’s dying fall, The dewy star of eve to hail.
It is Maria’s voice I hear; So calls the woodlark in the grove, His little, faithful mate to cheer; At once ’tis music and ’tis love.
And art thou come! and art thou true! O welcome dear to love and me! And let us all our vows renew, Along the flowery banks of Cree.