Celebrating John Burrough’s First Book with Rebecca Palfrey Utter’s Poem: The Wake-Robin

April 3, 1837

On this day, the Naturalist, poet, and philosopher John Burroughs was born.

John's first book was called Wake Robin, a common name for the woodland plant known as trillium.

In my research, I found a little-known poem called The Wake-Robin by Rebecca Salsbury Palfrey Utter.

Rebecca was a descendant of Gene Williams Palfrey, who served with George Washington and was an ambassador to France.

When she was 28, Rebecca became the wife of a Chicago Unitarian minister named David Utter.

After that, Rebecca worked beside David as a missionary, and she coined the now-popular term “Daughter of the King” in one of her more famous poems.

Here’s The Wake-Robin by Rebecca Salsbury Palfrey Utter.

When leaves green and hardy
From sleep have just uncurled —
Spring is so tardy
In this part of the world —
There comes a white flower forth,
Opens its eyes,
Looks out upon the earth,
In drowsy surprise.
A fair and pleasant vision
The nodding blossoms make;
And the flower's name and mission
Is "Wake, Robin, wake !”

But you're late, my lady,
You have not earned your name;
Robin's up already,
Long before you came.
You trusted the sun's glances,
To rouse you from your naps;
Or the brook that near you dances
At spring's approach, perhaps;
Your chamber was too shady,
The drooping trees among;
Robin's up already,
Don't you hear his song?

There he sits, swinging,
In his brown and scarlet cloak,
His notes like laughter ringing;
Tis plain he sees the joke.
"Accidents will happen,”
Laughs robin loud and clear;
"If you think to catch me napping,
Wake earlier next year!"