Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, A ROSE IN OCTOBER, by JAMES WHITCOMB RILEY


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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

A ROSE IN OCTOBER, by                 Poet Analysis     Poet's Biography
First Line: I strayed, all alone, where the
Last Line: She'd bloom for me aye, as -- my wife.
Alternate Author Name(s): Johnson Of Boone, Benj. F.
Subject(s): Flowers; Lilies; Marriage; October; Roses; Weddings; Husbands; Wives


I

I STRAYED, all alone, where the Autumn
Had swept, in her petulant wrath:
All the flowers, that had bloomed in the garden,
She had gathered, and flung in her path.
And I saw the dead face of the lily,
Struck down, by the rain and the sleet,
And the pink, with her lashes yet weeping,
Drooped low in the dust, at my feet.

II

The leaves on the branches still swinging,
Were blanched with the crimson of death;
And the vines that still clung to the trellis,
Were palsied, and shook at a breath.
And I sighed: "So hath fate, like the Autumn,
Swept over my path, till I see,
As I walk through life's desolate garden
Not a rose is left blooming for me!"

III

"Heigho!" said a voice of low laughter --
"How blind are you poets!" And there,
At the gate, just in front of me, leaning,
Stood Rosalind May, I declare!
I stammered, confused, for the moment;
But was blest for the rest of my life,
For my Rose of October there promised
She'd bloom for me aye, as -- my wife.





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