Classic and Contemporary Poetry
PLORATA VERIS LACHRYMIS, by WILLIAM BARNES Poet Analysis Poet's Biography First Line: O now, my true and dearest bride Last Line: My life may now be waning. Subject(s): Death; Grief; Love; Mourning; Solitude; Dead, The; Sorrow; Sadness; Bereavement; Loneliness | ||||||||
O now, my true and dearest bride, Since thou hast left my lonely side, My life has lost its hope and zest. The sun rolls on from east to west, But brings no more that evening rest, Thy loving-kindness made so sweet, And time is slow that once was fleet, As day by day was waning. The last sad day that show'd thee lain Before me, smiling in thy pain, The sun soar'd high along his way To mark the longest summer day, And show to me the latest play Of thy sweet smile, and thence, as all The daylengths shrunk from small to small, My joy began its waning. And now 'tis keenest pain to see Whate'er I saw in bliss with thee. The softest airs that ever blow, The fairest days that ever glow, Unfelt by thee, but bring me woe. And sorrowful I kneel in pray'r, Which thou no longer, now, canst share, As day by day is waning. How can I live my lonesome days? How can I tread my lonesome ways? How can I take my lonesome meal? Or how outlive the grief I feel? Or how again look on to weal? Or sit, at rest, before the heat Of winter fires, to miss thy feet, When evening light is waning? Thy voice is still I lov'd to hear, Thy voice is lost I held so dear. Since death unlocks thy hand from mine, No love awaits me such as thine. Oh! boon the hardest to resign! But if we meet again at last In heav'n, I little care how fast My life may now be waning. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...IN ABEYANCE by DENISE LEVERTOV IN A VACANT HOUSE by PHILIP LEVINE SUNDAY ALONE IN A FIFTH FLOOR APARTMENT, CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS by WILLIAM MATTHEWS SILENCE LIKE COOL SAND by PAT MORA THE HONEY BEAR by EILEEN MYLES A WINTER NIGHT by WILLIAM BARNES |
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