A Dirge

Christina Rossetti

1830 to 1894

Poem Image
Track 1

Reconstruct the poem by dragging each line into its correct position. Your goal is to reassemble the original poem as accurately as possible. As you move the lines, you'll see whether your arrangement is correct, helping you explore the poem's flow and meaning. You can also print out the jumbled poem to cut up and reassemble in the classroom. Either way, take your time, enjoy the process, and discover how the poet's words come together to create something truly beautiful.

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You should have died at the apples' dropping,
And all winds go sighing
Or, at least, when lithe swallows muster
Why did you die when the lambs were cropping?
You should have come to the cuckoo's calling,
For their far off flying
Or when grapes are green in the cluster,
For sweet things dying.
When the grasshopper comes to trouble,
And the wheat-fields are sodden stubble,
Why were you born when the snow was falling?
From summer dying.