Classic and Contemporary Poetry
A RHYME, by J. A. DAWE First Line: I have seen great beauty Last Line: To let me die, to let me die. Subject(s): Beauty; Oxford University | ||||||||
I HAVE seen great beauty, But have made no rhyme Since my heart burst In the autumn time. At back o' the hills Behind the trees The sun was making Bloody seas. And there I met her in the lane Shining wet with the autumn rain, And when she said it could not be The devil entered into me And bloody thoughts fell on my mind. She was calm and very kind And did as much as pity can, But would not have me for her man. And when they split your heart in two And only say "I pity you," What wonder if a man of sin Let the devil enter in Through the gates of his smashed heart.... And so it was when we did part. All hell was in my soul that night, And I went out to seek delight Over long miles of grassy down To the little market town. The moon was hanging in the sky And great white clouds went scudding by, And in my veins the black hot blood Was singing mighty hate for god. I slithered onwards through the mud, I could not see the path I trod, The wet salt tears in my eyes Shut the light out from the skies. And all that night I roared and cried And kissed the woman by my side, And she was very kind to me And understood my misery. And I was full of beer and gin And deadly drunk and all for sin To quench the raging flame within. And all the people in the fair Could only stop and stare and stare Till I could bash their faces in. And in my brain was all the din Of roundabouts And bawdy shouts; And painted booths all gaudy red Slashed bright red scars right through my head -- Right through; and yet I did not forget That last love tryst, I saw her shadow there And those red lips I'd never kissed, And all the wind was in her hair. I cried aloud for very pain And filled the tankard up again; 'Tis a jolly thing the drink For men who are afraid to think. The blood went singing in my ears, And in my eyes ran burning tears, And being out for mighty fun I did great things I'd never done.... And now I feel my smashed-up soul Is clinkered like a burned-out coal, And my lost love still stays with me And will never let me be -- Will never let me be. The autumn will come back again But I shall never kill my pain, And the world will not be kind Nor beauty burst upon my mind. I pray great god behind the sky To let me die, to let me die. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...CHRIST CHURCH MEADOWS, OXFORD by DONALD HALL OXFORD, THIRTY YEARS AFTER by JOHN UPDIKE THE SCHOLAR GIPSY by MATTHEW ARNOLD THE SPIRES OF OXFORD by WINIFRED MARY LETTS THE TALENTED MAN by WINTHROP MACKWORTH PRAED SONNET: ON HAVING DINED AT TRINITY COLLEGE, OXFORD by JOHN CODRINGTON BAMPFYLDE THE BALLAD OF MY FRIEND by J. D. BEAZLEY LETTER TO B.W. PROCTOR, ESQ., FROM OXFORD; MAY, 1825 by THOMAS LOVELL BEDDOES THE HOUSE OF DUST: 1 by CONRAD AIKEN |
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