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TO J. D. H. (KILLED AT SURREY C. H., OCTOBER, 1866), by                 Poet Analysis     Poet's Biography
First Line: Dear friend, forgive a wild lament
Last Line: O sad life - to keep thee mine.
Subject(s): Death; Friendship; Dead, The


Dear friend, forgive a wild lament
Insanely following thy flight.
I would not cumber to thine ascent
Nor drag thee back into the night;

But the great sea-winds sigh with me,
The fair-faced stars seems wrinkled, old,
And I would that I might lie with thee
There in the grave so cold, so cold!

Grave walls are thick, I cannot see thee,
And the round skies are far and steep;
A-wild to quaff some cup of Lethe,
Pain is proud and scorns to weep.

My heart breaks if it cling about thee,
And still breaks, if far from thine.
O drear, drear death, to live without thee,
O sad life - to keep thee mine.




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