Published on Academy of American Poets (https://poets.org)


Smoke

Light-winged Smoke! Icarian bird,	
Melting thy pinions in thy upward flight;	
Lark without song, and messenger of dawn,	
Circling above the hamlets as thy nest;	
Or else, departing dream, and shadowy form
Of midnight vision, gathering up thy skirts;	
By night star-veiling, and by day	
Darkening the light and blotting out the sun;	
Go thou, my incense, upward from this hearth,	
And ask the gods to pardon this clear flame.

Credit


This poem is in the public domain.

Author


Henry David Thoreau

Although he thought of himself as a poet, Henry David Thoreau's most defining work was his book, Walden.

Date Published: 1843-01-01

Source URL: https://poets.org/poem/smoke-0