Classic and Contemporary Poetry
MORTALITY, by WILLIAM DEAN HOWELLS Poet's Biography First Line: How many times have I lain down at night Last Line: Remained afraid to die! Alternate Author Name(s): Howells, W. D. Subject(s): Death; Fear; Mortality; Sleep; Dead, The | ||||||||
How many times have I lain down at night, And longed to fall into that gulf of sleep Whose dreamless deep Is haunted by no memory of The weary world above; And thought myself most miserable that I Must impotently lie So long upon the brink Without the power to sink Into that nothingness, and neither feel nor think! How many times, when day brought back the light After the merciful oblivion Of such unbroken slumber, And once again began to cumber My soul with her forgotten cares and sorrows, And show in long perspective the gray morrows, Stretching monotonously on, Forever narrowing but never done, Have I not loathed to live again and said, It would have been far better to be dead, And yet somehow, I know not why, Remained afraid to die! | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...A FRIEND KILLED IN THE WAR by ANTHONY HECHT FOR JAMES MERRILL: AN ADIEU by ANTHONY HECHT TARANTULA: OR THE DANCE OF DEATH by ANTHONY HECHT CHAMPS D?ÇÖHONNEUR by ERNEST HEMINGWAY NOTE TO REALITY by TONY HOAGLAND |
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