The cuckoo sings in the heart of winter,
And all for Mauryeen he tunes his song;
How Mauryeen's hair is the honey's colour
(He sings of her all the winter long!)
Her long loose hair's of the honey's colour,
The wild sweet honey that wild bees make,
The sun herself is ashamed before her,
The moon is pale for her gold cool's sake.
She bound her hair of the honey's colour,
With flowers of yarrow and quicken green:
And now one binds it with leaves of willow,
And cypress lies where my head has been.
Now robins sing beside Pastheen's doorway,
And wrens for bounty that Grania gave:
The cuckoo sings in the heart of winter,
He sings all day beside Mauryeen's grave.
I am busy working to bring Nora Hopper Chesson's "The Cuckoo Sings in the Heart of Winter" to life through some unique musical arrangements and will have a full analysis of the poem here for you later.
In the meantime, I invite you to explore the poem's themes, structure, and meaning. You can also check out the gallery for other musical arrangements or learn more about Nora Hopper Chesson's life and contributions to literature.
Check back soon to experience how "The Cuckoo Sings in the Heart of Winter" transforms when verse meets melody—a unique journey that makes poetry accessible, engaging, and profoundly moving in new ways.