TWO IDYLLS FROM BION THE SMYRNEAN by Eugene Field: Summary, Meaning & Analysis
Two brief poems recount ancient Greek fables featuring Eros, the god of love.
The poem
I Once a fowler, young and artless, To the quiet greenwood came; Full of skill was he and heartless In pursuit of feathered game. And betimes he chanced to see Eros perching in a tree. "What strange bird is that, I wonder?" Thought the youth, and spread his snare; Eros, chuckling at the blunder, Gayly scampered here and there. Do his best, the simple clod Could not snare the agile god! Blubbering, to his aged master Went the fowler in dismay, And confided his disaster With that curious bird that day; "Master, hast thou ever heard Of so ill-disposed a bird?" "Heard of him? Aha, most truly!" Quoth the master with a smile; "And thou too, shall know him duly-- Thou art young, but bide awhile, And old Eros will not fly From thy presence by and by! "For when thou art somewhat older That same Eros thou didst see, More familiar grown and bolder, Shall become acquaint with thee; And when Eros comes thy way Mark my word, he comes to stay!" II Once came Venus to me, bringing Eros where my cattle fed-- "Teach this little boy your singing, Gentle herdsman," Venus said. I was young--I did not know Whom it was that Venus led-- That was many years ago! In a lusty voice but mellow-- Callow pedant! I began To instruct the little fellow In the mysteries known to man; Sung the noble cithern's praise, And the flute of dear old Pan, And the lyre that Hermes plays. But he paid no heed unto me-- Nay, that graceless little boy Coolly plotted to undo me-- With his songs of tender joy; And my pedantry o'erthrown, Eager was I to employ His sweet ritual for mine own! Ah, these years of ours are fleeting! Yet I have not vainly wrought, Since to-day I am repeating What dear lessons Eros taught; Love, and always love, and then-- Counting all things else for naught-- Love and always love again!
Two brief poems recount ancient Greek fables featuring Eros, the god of love. In the first poem, a young bird-catcher attempts to trap Eros in a tree but fails, while his elderly mentor cautions him that love will eventually ensnare *him* instead. In the second poem, a herdsman tries to instruct Eros in music, only to find himself learning from the boy-god — and he welcomes the experience.
Line-by-line
Once a fowler, young and artless, / To the quiet greenwood came;
"What strange bird is that, I wonder?" / Thought the youth, and spread his snare;
Blubbering, to his aged master / Went the fowler in dismay,
"Heard of him? Aha, most truly!" / Quoth the master with a smile;
"For when thou art somewhat older / That same Eros thou didst see,
Once came Venus to me, bringing / Eros where my cattle fed--
In a lusty voice but mellow-- / Callow pedant! I began
But he paid no heed unto me-- / Nay, that graceless little boy
Ah, these years of ours are fleeting! / Yet I have not vainly wrought,
Tone & mood
Warm, playful, and gently wise. Field keeps the classical source material light, infusing it with teasing humor in both idylls (the bumbling fowler and the self-important young herdsman). Yet beneath the comedy lies a sincere belief that love is truly worth learning about. The tone never becomes preachy; instead, it mirrors the voice of a storyteller who has lived through these experiences and finds them amusing in hindsight.
Symbols & metaphors
- Eros perching in a tree — Love, depicted as an elusive and unrecognizable bird, reflects how young people often overlook love’s true nature—they can stare right at it yet mistake it for something mundane or even bothersome.
- The fowler's snare — The trap the youth spreads symbolizes our natural urge to capture and control love. The irony is that love can't be seized through force or trickery — it comes on its own terms.
- The aged master — The old teacher embodies the experience and wisdom that can only come with age. He doesn't harbor bitterness about love; he understands how it operates, and that understanding is something youth can't rush.
- Music lessons — In the second idyll, formal music — the cithern, the flute, the lyre — symbolizes intellectual or technical knowledge. Eros disregards it completely, hinting that love exists beyond what we can learn by heart.
- Eros as a little boy — The classic image of Eros as a small, mischievous child captures love's unpredictability. He isn't grand or serious; instead, he's playful, elusive, and subtly in control of every situation he steps into.
- Cattle / pastoral setting — The herdsman's field connects the myth to everyday life, implying that love isn’t reserved for heroes or kings — it appears wherever people are just living their lives.
Historical context
Eugene Field was an American journalist and poet, celebrated for his sentimental children's poetry, but he also had a deep love for classical literature. These two pieces are loose adaptations of poems attributed to Bion of Smyrna, a Greek bucolic poet from around the first or second century BCE. Bion followed in the footsteps of Theocritus, crafting short pastoral poems that blended mythology with the realities of rural life. Field's adaptations, published in the late 1800s, maintain the playful essence of the originals while fitting them into the rhymed stanzas that appealed to his American audience. The portrayal of Eros as a playful, uncontrollable child — different from the grand Cupid found in Roman epic — is typical of Hellenistic Greek poetry, where the god of love is often shown as a small boy who cleverly outsmarts adults and disrupts their plans.
FAQ
An idyll is a brief poem, typically set in the countryside, that depicts a straightforward and enjoyable scene or story. The term originates from the Greek *eidyllion*, which translates to "little picture." Field chooses this title because these poems adhere to the tradition established by Bion and Theocritus, who crafted short rural scenes involving gods, herdsmen, and the natural world.
Eros is the Greek god of love. Initially, in early Greek mythology, he was seen as a powerful cosmic force. However, by the Hellenistic period (around 300–30 BCE), poets started portraying him as a small, winged, mischievous child, similar to the Cupid we associate with Valentine's Day. This playful version of Eros is intentionally not meant to be taken seriously, adding to the humor: he may be tiny, but he manages to defeat everyone.
Youth often struggles to recognize love when it appears and can't make it stick around. The old master suggests that love eventually finds its way to everyone — but it does so on its own timeline, not yours. Attempting to capture it only serves to make you look foolish.
Book learning and formal skills can't compete with the lessons love provides. The herdsman believed he was the one teaching, but Eros flipped the script entirely. By the end of the poem, the speaker feels thankful for that change — love emerged as the only lesson that truly mattered.
Bion was a Greek bucolic poet, likely writing around 100 BCE, celebrated for his brief mythological poems inspired by Theocritus. Field’s versions take creative liberties instead of being direct translations—he incorporates rhyme, modifies the rhythm for English audiences, and infuses the poems with a warmer, more conversational tone compared to the original Greek. However, the underlying themes and the playful figure of Eros are directly drawn from Bion's work.
"Callow" refers to someone who is young and lacks experience, while "pedant" describes a person who flaunts their technical knowledge without truly comprehending it. The speaker is humorously reflecting on his younger self, who naively believed he could instruct the god of love on music by merely naming well-known instruments. This self-deprecating humor enhances the impact of the twist — where Eros ends up teaching him instead.
They are the three major instruments of Greek mythology, each linked to a different god. Collectively, they represent the entire tradition of formal, learned music. The herdsman mentions them to flaunt his credentials — yet Eros pays no attention to any of them, because love isn’t about credentials at all.
Both poems share the same story but approach it from different perspectives. In the first, a young man misses out on love and is advised that he will grasp its meaning with age. In the second, an older man reflects on his past and acknowledges that the mentor was correct — love did arrive, it did teach him valuable lessons, and he feels grateful. Together, they create a brief journey from ignorance to experience and, ultimately, acceptance.