The insect world amid the suns and dew
Awake and hum their tiny songs a new
And climb the tottergrass and blossoms stem
As huge in size as mighty oaks to them
And rushy burnets on the pasture rise
As tall as castles to their little eyes

Each leaf's a town and the smooth meadow grass
A mighty world whose bounds they never pass
E'en spots no bigger than the husbandman's
Or shepherd's noontide dwarf shrunk shadow spans
Or e'en the milkmaid tripping thro' the dew
Each space she covers with her slender shoe

Seem to their view high woods in which they roam
As lorn, lost wand'rers many miles from home,
Creeping up bents and down whole weary hours
And resting oft on the soft breasts of flowers
Till age, in minutes long as years, creeps on
Or waning summer warns them to be gone