The meaning of the lyrics of the song "Say Where Is the Nightingale" by the artist "Thomas Haynes Bayly"

In the poem "Say, Where Is the Nightingale I Gave in Spring?", Thomas Haynes Bayly uses the metaphor of a nightingale and a parrot to reveal the difference in perception of love and beauty between the lyrical hero and his beloved.

The nightingale, given in spring, is a symbol of sincere and tender love, the purity of feelings that do not need external gloss. His singing is a natural, natural beauty that touches the soul of the lyrical hero.

The parrot, with its bright plumage and ability to imitate sounds, personifies superficial beauty, artificiality, the desire to impress, and not express true feelings.

The lyrical hero reproaches his beloved for not appreciating the gift of true love, symbolized by the nightingale. He contrasts his choice – the simplicity and naturalness of the nightingale's song – with the choice of his beloved, who prefers the brightness and flashiness of the parrot.

In the lines "A tender voice is better than a painted cheek, / You seek a beak of gold, I—a woodland theme," the author emphasizes the contrast between inner content and outer form. The lyrical hero appreciates spiritual qualities, natural beauty, while his beloved seems to pay more attention to external attributes, wealth, and status.

The final lines of the poem sound like a bitter admission that the paths of the lyrical hero and his beloved have diverged. They choose different values, different paths in life. He is faithful to simplicity and naturalness, while she prefers artificial beauty and gloss.