Hazel McKay's "Butterfly" follows a butterfly through a few simple moments of a summer day. At first she drifts high above the trees, spinning and whirling in the sunlight. Then she comes down to land on a flower, where she rests and slowly moves her wings. The poem ends by returning to the opening lines, with her once again floating above the treetops.
The speaker never says "I feel," but the tone is warm and admiring. Watching her seems to bring a quiet delight. The short lines and soft, repeated sounds ("flits and floats") copy the light, bobbing way a butterfly moves. The slower line about resting and flapping her wings stretches out, as if time itself has paused for a moment.
Repeating the first two lines at the end makes the poem feel like a loop, or a small circle in the air. The mood is calm, gentle and carefree, like a lazy afternoon in the sun.