Blue Dasher Dragonfly — Image by kenne
The Dragonfly
Today I saw the dragonfly
Come from the wells where he did lie.
An inner impulse rent the veil
Of his old husk: from head to tail
Came out clear plates of sapphire mail.
He dried his wings: like gauze they grew;
Thro’ crofts and pastures wet with dew
A living flash of light he flew.
— Alfred Lord Tennyson
Awesome image! Thank you, kenne
A beautiful poem on Blue Dasher Dragonfly
“Came out clear plates of sapphire mail…
A living flash of light he flew”.
Pingback: The Dragonfly | Frank Hudson
Thanks to introducing me to this short poem which attracted me immediately! Liked it so much that I did a short musical performance of it. Then, as things developed I found it was originally part of a poem about intense grief and sadness, which in a way makes its beauty even more striking.
https://frankhudson.org/2021/07/25/the-dragonfly/
And while I’m not much with a camera, I had to take a picture this summer of my own dragonfly which I put in the above post.
Frank, I’m pleased you did more research on the Tennyson poem putting The Dragonfly into the context of the original poem. Good work on the part of you and Dave. Yes, I used it more from a nature point of view, which it is, but as you point out the full poem is about the death of a young friend. Thanks for using my post as a catalyze for your excellent post — loving it!