Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, STANZAS TO - -., by ROYALL TYLER


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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

STANZAS TO - -., by                     Poet's Biography
First Line: Touch not again - touch not again thy lyre!
Last Line: Can listen to its strains no more.
Alternate Author Name(s): Old Simon; S.
Subject(s): Aging


TOUCH not again -- touch not again thy lyre!
Forbear that melting strain!
It will awake to life my bosom's fire,
My heart will feel again; --
That heart which once, with gentle flow,
Felt all the joys that love could know.

Enchanting thought, and joy and love were there,
And Hope's delightful dreams:
But Hope was false -- and cankering despair
Dissolv'd each pleasing theme;
What then my tortur'd breast befel,
Forbear, O MEMORY, to tell.

Touch not again thy lyre -- my heart's to passion dead,
Nor fires my lukewarm mind;
Its tort'ring pangs, its pleasures long have fled,
And left a dream behind;
Alike reliev'd from joy and pain,
Reason again resumes her reign.

Touch not again -- touch not again thy lyre!
Forbear that hallow'd strain!
Again forbear to wake my bosom's fire,
O wound it not again!
For he, whose spring-like years are o'er
Can listen to its strains no more.





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