Classic and Contemporary Poetry
THE CHRISTENING, by WALTER JOHN DE LA MARE Poet Analysis Poet's Biography First Line: The bells chime clear Last Line: Be love their lullaby! Alternate Author Name(s): Ramal, Walter; De La Mare, Walter | ||||||||
The bells chime clear, Soon will the sun behind the hills sink down; Come, little Ann, your baby brother dear Lies in his christening-gown. His godparents Are all across the fields stepped on before, And wait beneath the crumbling monuments, This side the old church door. Your mammie dear Leans frail and lovely on your daddie's arm; Watching her chick, 'twixt happiness and fear, Lest he should come to harm. All to be blest Full soon in the clear heavenly water, he Sleeps on unwitting of't, his little breast Heaving so tenderly. I carried you, My little Ann, long since on this same quest, And from the painted windows a pale hue Lit golden on your breast; And then you woke, Chill as the holy water trickled down, And, weeping, cast the window a strange look, Half smile, half infant frown. I scarce could hear The skylarks singing in the green meadows, 'Twas summertide, and, budding far and near, The hedges thick with rose. And now you're grown A little girl; and this same helpless mite Is come like such another bud half-blown, Out of the wintry night. Time flies, time flies! And yet, bless me! 'tis little changed am I; May Jesu keep from tears those infant eyes, Be love their lullaby! | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...ALONE (2) by WALTER JOHN DE LA MARE AN EPITAPH by WALTER JOHN DE LA MARE ARABIA by WALTER JOHN DE LA MARE BUNCHES OF GRAPES by WALTER JOHN DE LA MARE ECHO by WALTER JOHN DE LA MARE ENGLAND (2) by WALTER JOHN DE LA MARE FARE WELL by WALTER JOHN DE LA MARE FIVE EYES by WALTER JOHN DE LA MARE JOHN MOULDY by WALTER JOHN DE LA MARE MOTLEY by WALTER JOHN DE LA MARE |
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