Classic and Contemporary Poetry
THE POET AND THE CHILDREN, by JOHN GREENLEAF WHITTIER Poet Analysis Poet's Biography First Line: With a glory of winter sunshine Last Line: "of such is the kingdom of heaven!" Subject(s): Longfellow, Henry Wadsworth (1807-1882) | ||||||||
WITH a glory of winter sunshine Over his locks of gray, In the old historic mansion He sat on his last birthday; With his books and his pleasant pictures, And his household and his kin, While a sound as of myriads singing From far and near stole in. It came from his own fair city, From the prairie's boundless plain, From the Golden Gate of sunset, And the cedarn woods of Maine. And his heart grew warm within him, And his moistening eyes grew dim, For he knew that his country's children Were singing the songs of him: The lays of his life's glad morning, The psalms of his evening time, Whose echoes shall float forever On the winds of every clime. All their beautiful consolations, Sent forth like birds of cheer, Came flocking back to his windows, And sang in the Poet's ear. Grateful, but solemn and tender, The music rose and fell With a joy akin to sadness And a greeting like farewell. With a sense of awe he listened To the voices sweet and young; The last of earth and the first of heaven Seemed in the songs they sung. And waiting a little longer For the wonderful change to come, He heard the Summoning Angel, Who calls God's children home! And to him in a holier welcome Was the mystical meaning given Of the words of the blessed Master: "Of such is the kingdom of heaven!" | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...HENRY WADSWORTH LONGFELLOW; IN MEMORIAM by HENRY AUSTIN DOBSON THE SHADES OF NIGHT by ALFRED EDWARD HOUSMAN TO HENRY WADSWORTH LONGFELLOW; ON HIS BIRTHDAY, 27 FEB. 1867 by JAMES RUSSELL LOWELL LONGFELLOW by JAMES WHITCOMB RILEY THE VILLAGE MUNITIONS CO., INC.; FORMERLY THE VILLAGE BLACKSMITH by FRANKLIN PIERCE ADAMS TAKE YOUR CHOICE: AS LONGFELLOW WROTE IT by BERTON BRALEY LONGFELLOW by CHRISTOPHER PEARSE CRANCH IN MEMORIAM by MIRIAM DEL BANCO LONGFELLOW by HENRY AUSTIN DOBSON AMY WENTWORTH; FOR WILLIAM BRADFORD by JOHN GREENLEAF WHITTIER |
|