The Magpies
Encyclopedia
For disambiguation see Magpie (disambiguation)
The Magpies is the most famous poem by New Zealand
poet
Denis Glover
(1912–1980). It helped define New Zealand's distinctive style of poetry. The poem was first published in Glover's 1964 anthology Enter Without Knocking.
Over the course of six short stanzas, the life of a farming couple from young man and wife through to their death of old age is recounted, each verse finishing with the couplet:
except for the last verse, in which the last word is "say".
The intention of the poem is to indicate the passage of time and yet the timelessness of nature. A human lifetime passes, yet the underlying natural life - symbolised by the unchanging backdrop of the magpies' call - remains unchanging.
The phrase imitating the call of the Australian Magpie
is one of the most well-known lines in New Zealand poetry.
Magpie (disambiguation)
-Birds:* Magpie, members of four genera of the bird family Corvidae** Australian Magpie, Gymnorhina tibicen, crow-sized black and white bird in the family Artamidae** Azure-winged Magpie, Cyanopica cyana...
The Magpies is the most famous poem by New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
poet
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
Denis Glover
Denis Glover
Lieutenant Commander Denis James Matthews Glover DSC was a New Zealand poet and publisher.Well-known for radical leftist opinions, he was often in trouble with authorities. In 1935 he founded the Caxton Press, which he used to encourage a less sentimental style of poetry in New Zealand than was...
(1912–1980). It helped define New Zealand's distinctive style of poetry. The poem was first published in Glover's 1964 anthology Enter Without Knocking.
Over the course of six short stanzas, the life of a farming couple from young man and wife through to their death of old age is recounted, each verse finishing with the couplet:
- And Quardle oodle ardle wardle doodle/The magpies said,
except for the last verse, in which the last word is "say".
The intention of the poem is to indicate the passage of time and yet the timelessness of nature. A human lifetime passes, yet the underlying natural life - symbolised by the unchanging backdrop of the magpies' call - remains unchanging.
The phrase imitating the call of the Australian Magpie
Australian Magpie
The Australian Magpie is a medium-sized black and white passerine bird native to Australia and southern New Guinea. A member of the Artamidae, it is closely related to the butcherbirds...
is one of the most well-known lines in New Zealand poetry.