O FRIEND! There is no way To bid farewell to thee! The words that we would say Above thy grave to-day Still falter and delay And fail us utterly. When walking with us here, The hand we loved to press Was gentle, and sincere As thy frank eyes were clear Through every smile and tear Of pleasure and distress. In years, young; yet in thought Mature; thy spirit, free, And fired with fervor caught Of thy proud sire, who fought His way to fame, and taught Its toilsome way to thee. So even thou hast gained The victory God-given -- Yea, as our cheeks are stained With tears, and our souls pained And mute, thou hast attained Thy high reward in Heaven! | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...THE FUGITIVE by LAWRENCE ALMA-TADEMA SORROWS AND CONSOLATIONS by ANNA LETITIA BARBAULD THE ARID LANDS by HERBERT BASHFORD BROADCAST by KATHARINE LEE BATES THRENODY by THOMAS LOVELL BEDDOES TENNESSEE; PRIZE CENTENNIAL ODE (1896) by VIRGINIA FRAZER BOYLE PAIN IN PLEASURE by ELIZABETH BARRETT BROWNING |