Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, SONG BEFORE DEATH, by ALGERNON CHARLES SWINBURNE



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SONG BEFORE DEATH, by                 Poet Analysis     Poet's Biography
First Line: Sweet mother, in a minute's span
Last Line: My true love to my dying day.
Subject(s): Death; Flowers; Grief; Love - Loss Of; Roses; Dead, The; Sorrow; Sadness


SWEET mother, in a minute's span
Death parts thee and my love of thee
Sweet love, that yet art living man,
Come back, true love, to comfort me.
Back, ah, come back! ah wellaway!
But my love comes not any day.

As roses, when the warm West blows,
Break to full flower and sweeten spring,
My soul would break to a glorious rose
In such wise at his whispering
In vain I listen; wellaway!
My love says nothing any day.

You that will weep for pity of love
On the low place where I am lain,
I pray you, having wept enough,
Tell him for whom I bore such pain
That he was yet, ah! wellaway!
My true love to my dying day.





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