June

By Anonymous

Annotations by Abby Army

Behold now with an aspect clear,
The kindly smiling June appear;
While in its train the sun displays
The force of all his powerful rays!
The blooming orchards all around,
Are with the sweetest blossoms crown’d;
The cheerful larks now soar on high,
And sing, rejoicing to the sky.
The hawthorns clad in smiling bloom,
Emit a fragrant, rich perfume,
Fond Flora, in her gaudy dress,
Keeps in the gardens her recess;
And now beholds with glowing eyes,
The sweetly smelling flowers arise;
While ev’ry field, and each gay plain,
Exulting owns her pleasant reign.
With Joy husbandmen behold
The cheerful crops their farms unfold.
The welcome cuckoos fly around, 
And glad us with their simple sound.

Anonymous. “June.” The Juvenile Port – Folio and Literary Miscellany, American Periodicals, 2, no. 22 (June 4, 1814): 88.

[1] This image was included in the original print of this poem. It reflects a sprite, most likely named June.

Pedagogy

Ask students to write poems for the other months. Have them structure it like this one. Contemporary Connections

About This Site

Edited by Karen Kilcup and coedited by Rene Marzuk and Josh Benjamin, The Envious Lobster collects earlier U.S. nature writing and environmental writing for children. Aimed at a broad audience including scholars, teachers at all levels, students, parents, reading groups, and (of course) children, the current draft anthology comprises about 300 entries in multiple genres. As the editorial collective expands, we anticipate that the anthology will, too. If you have ideas about texts or supporting materials you would like to see included, please email Professor Kilcup, the General Editor (klkilcup AT uncg DOT edu).