Classic and Contemporary Poetry
AN OLD HOUSE IN LONDON, by WILLIAM HENRY DAVIES Poet Analysis First Line: In fancy I can see thee stand Last Line: Birds sing, and saw the sweet wild flowers. Alternate Author Name(s): Davies, W. H. Subject(s): Houses | ||||||||
In fancy I can see thee stand Again in the green meadow-land; As in thine infancy, long past, When Southwark was a lovely waste; And Larks and Blackbirds sang around, As common as their children found So far away in these late days. And thou didst like a lighthouse raise Thy windows, that their light could show Across the broad, green calm below; And there were trees, beneath whose boughs Stood happy horses, sheep and cows, And wilful brooks, that would not yield To hedges, to mark out each field, But every field that they passed through Was by them cut and counted two. From thy back windows thou couldst see, Half-way between St. Paul's and thee, Swans with their shadows, and the barge Of state old Thames took in his charge. Ah, wert thou now what thou wert then, There were no need to fly from men. Instead of those green meadows, now Three hundred hungry children show Rags and white faces at thy door For charity. We see no more Green lanes, but alleys dark instead; Where none can walk but fear to tread On babes that crawl in dirt and slime. And from thy windows, at this time, Thou canst not see ten yards beyond, For the high blocks that stand around; Buildings that ofttimes only give One room in which five souls must live, With but one window for their air. Foul art thou now with lives of care, For hungry children and men poor Seek food and lodging at thy door; Thou that didst hear, in thy first hours, Birds sing, and saw the sweet wild flowers. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...TWO-RIVER LEDGER by KHALED MATTAWA SEVEN TWILIGHTS: 3 by CONRAD AIKEN FOR THE REBUILDING OF A HOUSE by WENDELL BERRY JERONIMO'S HOUSE by ELIZABETH BISHOP MENDING THE ADOBE by HAYDEN CARRUTH MY HUT; AFTER TRAN QUANG KHAI by HAYDEN CARRUTH A BIRD'S ANGER by WILLIAM HENRY DAVIES |
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