Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, SATIRES OF CIRCUMSTANCE: 14. OVER THE COFFIN, by THOMAS HARDY


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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

SATIRES OF CIRCUMSTANCE: 14. OVER THE COFFIN, by                 Poet Analysis     Poet's Biography
First Line: They stand confronting, the coffin between
Last Line: Had lived like the wives in the patriarchs' days.'
Variant Title(s): Over The Coffin
Subject(s): Mourning; Widows & Widowers; Bereavement


THEY stand confronting, the coffin between,
His wife of old, and his wife of late,
And the dead man whose they both had been
Seems listening aloof, as to things past date.
- 'I have called,' says the first. 'Do you marvel or not?'
'In truth,' says the second, 'I do - somewhat.'

'Well, there was a word to be said by me! ...
I divorced that man because of you -
It seemed I must do it, boundenly;
But now I am older, and tell you true,
For life is little, and dead lies he;
I would I had let alone you two!
And both of us, scorning parochial ways,
Had lived like the wives in the patriarchs' days.'





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