In winter I get up at night / And dress by yellow candle-light. details
Notes:
In this illustration a small child, probably a girl, stands barefoot by a bed illuminated by the yellow glow of a candle; she is starting to undress.
I. Bed in Summer
In winter I get up at night
And dress by yellow candle-light.
In summer quite the other way,
I have to go to bed by day.
I have to go to bed and see
The birds still hopping on the tree,
Or hear the grown-up people’s feet
Still going past me in the street.
And does it not seem hard to you,
When all the sky is clear and blue,
And I should like so much to play,
To have to go to bed by day?
Comments:
Added by V.J. on Wed May 28 21:12:32 2008
I’ve loved this poem for over 42 years. I recite it to people all the time! On a whim I googled it and was amazed that I only had one word wrong – “strange” instead of hard. I still see grownup feet still passing by me in the street. I didn’t realize this was written by R.L. Stevenson, whom I’ve always loved to read.
Added by Annie on Sun Jul 27 15:39:53 2008
Don’t have a web page or the advanced technical expertise that you appear to have – I favour more towards art and literature but find the web a handy tool for lots of info. I remember reciting this poem when I took part in a local schools concert in Wardown Park, Luton, when I was 7 yrs old (1950). I thought of it recently when my 3yr old grandaughter complained about having to go to be when “it’s still morning”.