Classic and Contemporary Poetry
CHRISTMAS ANTIPHONES: 3. BEYOND CHURCH, by ALGERNON CHARLES SWINBURNE Poet Analysis Poet's Biography First Line: Ye that weep in sleep Last Line: When that day is born. Subject(s): Bodies; Soul; Stars | ||||||||
YE that weep in sleep, Souls and bodies bound, Ye that all night keep Watch for change, and weep That no change is found; Ye that cry and die, And the world goes on Without ear or eye, And the days go by Till all days are gone; Man shall do for you, Men the sons of man, What no God would do That they sought unto While the blind years ran. Brotherhood of good, Equal laws and rights, Freedom, whose sweet food Feeds the multitude All their days and nights, With the bread full-fed Of her body blest And the soul's wine shed From her table spread Where the world is guest, Mingling me and thee, When like light of eyes Flashed through thee and me Truth shall make us free, Liberty make wise; These are they whom day Follows and gives light Whence they see to slay Night, and burn away All the seed of night. What of thine and mine, What of want and wealth, When one faith is wine For my heart and thine And one draught is health? For no sect elect Is the soul's wine poured And her table decked; Whom should man reject From man's common board? Gods refuse and choose; Grudge and sell and spare; None shall man refuse, None of all men lose, None leave out of care. No man's might of sight Knows that hour before; No man's hand hath might To put back that light For one hour the more. Not though all men call, Kneeling with void hands, Shall they see light fall Till it come for all Tribes of men and lands. No desire brings fire Down from heaven by prayer, Though man's vain desire Hang faith's wind struck lyre Out in tuneless air One hath breath and saith What the tune shall be -- Time, who puts his breath Into life and death Into earth and sea To and fro years flow Fill their tides and ebb, As his fingers go Weaving to and fro One unfinished web. All the range of change Hath its bounds therein, All the lives that range All the byways strange Named of death or sin. Star from far to star Speaks, and white moons wake Watchful from afar What the night's ways are For the morning's sake. Many names and flames Pass and flash and fall, Night-begotten names, And the night reclaims, As she bare them, all. But the sun is one, And the sun's name Right; And when light is none Saving of the sun, All men shall have light. All shall see and be Parcel of the morn; Ay. though blind were we, None shall choose but see When that day is born. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...THE EPIC STARS by ROBINSON JEFFERS HYMN TO THE STARS by GEORGE LAWRENCE ANDREWS CHRISTMAS TREE by JOHN FREDERICK NIMS CLEMATIS MONTANA by MADELINE DEFREES THE UNCERTAINTY PRINCIPLE by JAMES GALVIN TO SEE THE STARS IN DAYLIGHT by JAMES GALVIN A BALLAD OF DEATH by ALGERNON CHARLES SWINBURNE |
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