I have desired, and I have been desired; But now the days are over of desire, Now dust and dying embers mock my fire; Where is the hire for which my life was hired? Oh vanity of vanities, desire! Longing and love, pangs of a perished pleasure, Longing and love, a disenkindled fire, And memory a bottomless gulf of mire, And love a fount of tears outrunning measure; Oh vanity of vanities, desire! Now from my heart, love's deathbed, trickles, trickles, Drop by drop slowly, drop by drop of fire, The dross of life, of love, of spent desire; Alas, my rose of life gone all to prickles, -- Oh vanity of vanities, desire! Oh vanity of vanities, desire; Stunting my hope which might have strained up Turning my garden plot to barren mire; Oh death-struck love, oh disenkindled fire, Oh vanity of vanities, desire! | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...THE RAILWAY TRAIN by EMILY DICKINSON TO THE WATER NYMPHS DRINKING AT THE FOUNTAIN by ROBERT HERRICK OUR MODEST DOUGHBOYS by CHARLTON ANDREWS SUNSET ON THE ORANGE MOUNTAINS by ADRIAN BERKOWITZ EPITAPH ON THE RIGHT HONOURABLE SUSAN, COUNTESS OF MONTGOMERY by WILLIAM BROWNE (1591-1643) |