Classic and Contemporary Poetry
REST, by ABRAM JOSEPH RYAN Poet's Biography First Line: My feet are wearied and my hands are tied Last Line: Where I shall rest. Subject(s): Rest | ||||||||
My feet are wearied, and my hands are tired, My soul oppressed -- And I desire, what I have long desired -- Rest -- only rest. 'Tis hard to toil -- when toil is almost vain, In barren ways; 'Tis hard to sow -- and never garner grain, In harvest days. The burden of my days is hard to bear, But God knows best; And I have prayed -- but vain has been my prayer For rest -- sweet rest. 'Tis hard to plant in Spring and never reap The Autumn yield; 'Tis hard to till, and 'tis tilled to weep O'er fruitless field. And so I cry a weak and human cry, So heart oppressed; And so I sigh a weak and human sigh, For rest -- for rest. My way has wound across the desert years, And cares infest My path, and through the flowing of hot tears, I pine -- for rest. 'Twas always so; when but a child I laid On mother's breast My wearied little head; e'en then I prayed As now -- for rest. And I am restless still; 'twill soon be o'er; For down the West Life's sun is setting, and I see the shore Where I shall rest. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...DE LITTLE PICKANINNY'S GONE TO SLEEP by JAMES WELDON JOHNSON MOTHER NIGHT by JAMES WELDON JOHNSON BOY'S SLEEP by NAOMI SHIHAB NYE HOW FAR IS IT TO THE LAND WE LEFT? by NAOMI SHIHAB NYE IT'S NOT COLD HERE by ELEANOR WILNER SUPPLICATION by JOSEPH SEAMON COTTER JR. HASTE NOT! REST NOT! by JOHANN WOLFGANG VON GOETHE SENTINEL SONGS: 1 by ABRAM JOSEPH RYAN |
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