STANZAS, ON PLANTING A BAY-TREE AT THE GRAVE OF CHURCHILL by JOHN CHALK CLARIS

XX.

I.

ABOVE the bard's neglected grave
We plant thee, honouring bay!—
Here verdantly thy boughs shall wave
Triumphant o'er decay.
Fit emblem of the fadeless fame
Which, like thy living wreath,
The Muse has twined around the name
Of him who sleeps beneath.

II.

We plant thee in no pomp of grief
To add one shade to gloom;
Then freshly spring, unwithering leaf,
And grace the Poet's tomb;
Where Friendship soon may cease to mourn,
Soon Love forget to weep,
Yet Fame shall o'er her favourite's urn
Unwearied vigils keep.

III.

We plant thee not for him whose lips
Are hushed—whose heart is cold—
The spirit wrapped in death's eclipse
Heeds not its mortal mould!
But thou, here flourishing alone,
Mayest guide the wandering eyes
Of him who seeks the lowly stone
Which tells "Here Churchill lies!"

Classic and Contemporary Poetry

Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!

Other Poems of Interest...