The grass so little has to do

The grass so little has to do, -
A sphere of simple green,
With only butterflies to brood,
And bees to entertain,

And stir all day to pretty tunes
The breezes fetch along,
And hold the sunshine in its lap
And bow to everything;

And thread the dews all night, like pearls,
And make itself so fine, -
A duchess were too common
For such a noticing.

And even when it dies, to pass
In odors so divine,
As lowly spices gone to sleep,
Or amulets of pine.

And then to dwell in sovereign barns,
And dream the days away, -
The grass so little has to do,
I wish I were the hay!

by Emily Dickinson (1830-1886) , no title, from Poems of Emily Dickinson, published 1890

Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive)

by Ernst Bacon (1898-1990) , "The grass", published 1944. [medium voice, piano]
by Arthur Bergh (1882-1962) , "The grass", published 1954. [chorus: SA, piano]
by Arthur Farwell (1872-1952) , "The grass so little has to do", op. 112 no. 2.
by Vincent Persichetti (1915-1987) , "The grass", op. 77 no. 4 (1957), published 1958 [medium voice, piano], from Emily Dickinson Songs, no. 4.

Added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.

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