Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, THREE FRIENDS OF MINE: 3; SONNET, by HENRY WADSWORTH LONGFELLOW


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THREE FRIENDS OF MINE: 3; SONNET, by                 Poet Analysis     Poet's Biography
First Line: I stand again on the familiar shore
Last Line: Why art thou silent? Why shouldst thou be dead?
Variant Title(s): Agassiz
Subject(s): Agassiz, Louis (1807-1873); Science; Scientists


I STAND again on the familiar shore,
And hear the waves of the distracted sea
Piteously calling and lamenting thee,
And waiting restless at thy cottage door.
The rocks, the seaweed on the ocean floor,
The willows in the meadow, and the free
Wild winds of the Atlantic welcome me;
Then why shouldst thou be dead, and come no more?
Ah, why shouldst thou be dead, when common men
Are busy with their trivial affairs,
Having and holding? Why, when thou hadst read
Nature's mysterious manuscript, and then
Wast ready to reveal the truth it bears,
Why art thou silent? Why shouldst thou be dead?





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