The Jackdaw
A bird perched upon a church steeple casts a severe glance over the doings of men.
1782
Introduction
This post is number 6 in the series William Cowper
William Cowper (‘cooper’) paints us a picture of a jackdaw, a member of the crow family, perched on the weathervane of a church steeple, and looking down on the world of men with a sardonic eye.
‘The Jackdaw’
THERE is a bird who,*
by his coat
And by the hoarseness of his note,
Might be supposed a crow;
A great frequenter of the church,
Where, bishop-like, he finds a perch,
And dormitory too.
Above the steeple shines a plate,
That turns and turns, to indicate
From what point blows the weather.
Look up - your brains begin to swim,
’Tis in the clouds - that pleases him,
He chooses it the rather.
Fond of the speculative height,
Thither he wings his airy flight,
And thence securely sees
The bustle and the raree-show,*
That occupy mankind below,
Secure and at his ease.
Like his fable The Nightingale and the Glow Worm, this poem is a translation from the Latin of Vincent Bourne (1695-1747). The original was titled ‘Cornicula’.
A raree-show (rarity show) was a large box typically carried about on one’s back, popular from the 17th century. Inside were scenes of life which might be viewed by opening the box out or through a peep hole. The term was gradually extended to mean any curious spectacle or sideshow.