A Windflower is a poem written by Canadian poet William Bliss Carman FRSC (April 15, 1861 – June 8, 1929).

He is classed as one of the Confederation Poets, a group that also included Charles Roberts, Archibald Lampman, and Duncan Campbell Scott. Of the group, Carman has been described as having the surest lyric touch and as a result achieved the widest recognition.

When I first encountered this poem it made me think of a trip that I took to Quebec City in the very early spring of 2001. All along the roadside verge were a dandelion like flower, either signally or in groups, that I have since learned are called Coltsfoot. They appear for a short time with no visible foliage and like the subject of this poem they live a precarious life exposed to the weather one expects in early spring. As to a voice to convey the drama that this poem presents, contralto seemed an appropriate choice.