Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, THE NIGHT-JAR, by VICTOR GUSTAVE PLARR


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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

THE NIGHT-JAR, by                     Poet's Biography
First Line: On the river, in the shallows, on the shore
Last Line: Which is death.
Subject(s): Boats; Death; Nature; Night; Dead, The; Bedtime


On the river, in the shallows, on the shore,
Are the darkness and the silence of the tomb;
O'er the woods the sunset dyed an hour before
Utter gloom.

Only here betwixt the ramparts of tall trees,
In mid-stream, the pallid waters gleam afar,
Scarce a ripple on their surface, scarce a breeze,
Scarce a star.

Where the shadow of the ruined water-mill
Hides the mill-pool and its anchored lily fleet,
And the warm air seems to slumber over-still,
Over-sweet,

Hark the Night-jar! In the meadows by the stream
Shrills the bird's unearthly note: I like it well,
For it lulls you as the mystery of a dream,
Or a spell.

All the nightingales along the bowery reach
Plain together when the midnight moon is bright:
This bird only knows the secret speech
Of dark night.

Turn the boat now. Row away, friends. Let us hence,
Lest the glamour of the night's o'er-trancing breath,
Plunge us one and all into that dream intense
Which is Death.





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