Classic and Contemporary Poetry
AFTER NINE YEARS, by ALGERNON CHARLES SWINBURNE Poet Analysis Poet's Biography First Line: The shadows fallen of years are nine Last Line: Take these of him whose light was thou. Subject(s): Death; God; Love; Dead, The | ||||||||
I. THE shadows fallen of years are nine Since heaven grew seven times more divine With thy soul entering, and the dearth Of soul on earth Grew sevenfold sadder, wanting One Whose light of life, quenched here and done, Burns there eternal as the sun. 2. Beyond all word, beyond all deed, Beyond all thought beloved, what need Hast death or love that speech should be, Hast thou of me? I had no word, no prayer, no cry, To praise or hail or mourn thee by, As when thou too wast man as I. 3. Nay, never, nor as any born Save one whose name priests turn to scorn, Who haply, though we know not now, Was man as thou, A wanderer branded with men's blame, Loved past man's utterance: yea, the same, Perchance, and as his name thy name. 4. Thou was as very Christ -- not he Degraded into Deity, And priest-polluted by such prayer As poisons air, Tongue-worship of the tongue that slays. False faith and parricidal praise: But the man crowned with suffering days. 5. God only, being of all mankind Most manlike, of most equal mind And heart most perfect, more than can Be heart of man Once in ten ages, born to be As haply Christ was, and as we Knew surely, seeing, and worshipped thee. 6. To know thee -- this at least was ours, God, clothed upon with human hours, O face beloved, O spirit adored, Saviour and lord! That was not only for thine own Redeemer -- not of these alone But all to whom thy word was known. 7. Ten years have wrought their will with me Since last my words took wing for thee Who then was even as now above Me, and my love. As then thou knewest not scorn, so now With that beloved benignant brow Take these of him whose light was thou. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...A FRIEND KILLED IN THE WAR by ANTHONY HECHT FOR JAMES MERRILL: AN ADIEU by ANTHONY HECHT TARANTULA: OR THE DANCE OF DEATH by ANTHONY HECHT CHAMPS D?ÇÖHONNEUR by ERNEST HEMINGWAY NOTE TO REALITY by TONY HOAGLAND A BALLAD OF DEATH by ALGERNON CHARLES SWINBURNE |
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