Classic and Contemporary Poetry
MY ANTIQUE LAMP, by OLIVER MURRAY EDWARDS First Line: My antique lamp from old japan Last Line: And take myself to bed. Subject(s): Antiques; Lamps; Light; Night; Shadows; Sleep; Bedtime | ||||||||
My antique lamp from old Japan Sends forth its light once more, Its graceful lines and elegance Charm as in days of yore. Where once an oil wick did suffice With feeble, flickering ray, Electric light hath been installed To suit the present day. Discarded and forgotten quite, For years a castaway, Its origin and hidden past Defy the light of day. Once more a debutante, it charms With soft and mellow ray, While mystery from years long past My mind and muse doth sway. Quite often as I sit and dream, The lamp doth speak to me Of olden days when men were bold And braved both land and sea; Through quaint old city streets I roam, Where paper lanterns glow, While people strange, with dress grotesque, Are passing to and fro. There youths and maidens are content, If light doth shine or not They never seek a darker nook Or more sequestered spot; There maidens' cheeks quite often burn, And eyes flash fire and light 'Tis not the same with rouge and paint Where day is dimmed by night. I wonder how in streets so dark That people find their way, While here beneath our brilliant light They often go astray. I think true modesty and worth Doth shine from mind and heart, While light that generates without Is something else apart. Strange shadows seem to come and go, And chase across the floor, And oft I seem to feel a draught As from an open door: 'Tis then I waken with a start, And rising, shake my head, And bid good-night unto my lamp, And take myself to bed. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...THE BREATH OF NIGHT by RANDALL JARRELL HOODED NIGHT by ROBINSON JEFFERS NIGHT WITHOUT SLEEP by ROBINSON JEFFERS WORKING OUTSIDE AT NIGHT by DENIS JOHNSON POEM TO TAKE BACK THE NIGHT by JUNE JORDAN COOL DARK ODE by DONALD JUSTICE POEM TO BE READ AT 3 A.M by DONALD JUSTICE ROUND ABOUT MIDNIGHT by BOB KAUFMAN A CHRISTMAS CAROL AND ANTHEM by OLIVER MURRAY EDWARDS |
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