Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, RETURNING, WE HEAR THE LARKS, by ISAAC ROSENBERG


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RETURNING, WE HEAR THE LARKS, by                 Poet Analysis     Poet's Biography
First Line: Sombre the night is
Last Line: Or her kisses where a serpent hides.
Subject(s): Birds; Larks; Soldiers' Writings; World War I; Skylarks; First World War


Sombre the night is.
And though we have our lives, we know
What sinister threat lurks there.

Dragging these anguished limbs, we only know
This poison-blasted track opens on our camp --
On a little safe sleep.

But hark! joy -- joy -- strange joy.
Lo! heights of night ringing with unseen larks.
Music showering our upturned list'ning faces.

Death could drop from the dark
As easily as song --
But song only dropped,
Like a blind man's dreams on the sand
By dangerous tides,
Like a girl's dark hair for she dreams no ruin lies there,
Or her kisses where a serpent hides.






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