Classic and Contemporary Poetry
BALLADE OF LIFE, by ANDREW LANG Poet Analysis Poet's Biography First Line: Say, fair maids, maying Last Line: "they are dead and gone!" Subject(s): Life | ||||||||
SAY, fair maids, maying In gardens green, In deep dells straying, What end hath been Two Mays between Of the flowers that shone And your own sweet queen? -- "They are dead and gone!" Say, grave priests, praying In dule and teen, From cells decaying What have ye seen Of the proud and mean, Of Judas and John, Of the foul and clean? -- "They are dead and gone!" Say, kings, arraying Loud wars to win, Of your manslaying What gain ye glean? "They are fierce and keen, But they fall anon, On the sword that lean, -- They are dead and gone!" ENVOY Through the mad world's scene We are drifting on, To this tune, I ween, "They are dead and gone!" | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...PRIVILEGE OF BEING by ROBERT HASS SEAWATER STIFFENS CLOTH by JANE HIRSHFIELD SAYING YES TO LIVING by DAVID IGNATOW THE WORLD IS SO DIFFICULT TO GIVE UP by DAVID IGNATOW |
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