Classic and Contemporary Poetry
LYRICAL INTERLUDE: 69, by HEINRICH HEINE Poet's Biography First Line: Night lay upon mine eyelids Last Line: And lo! -- from sleep I woke. Subject(s): Dreams; Eyes; Graves; Hair; Night; Nightmares; Tombs; Tombstones; Bedtime | ||||||||
NIGHT lay upon mine eyelids, Upon my mouth lay lead; I in my grave was lying. With frozen heart and head. How long it was I know not That I in slumber lay; I woke and heard a knocking Upon my grave one day. "Wilt thou not rise up, Henry? "The Judgment Day is this, "The dead have all arisen, "To taste of endless bliss." I cannot rise, my darling, For I have lost my sight; Mine eyes, through very weeping, Are veil'd in darkest night. "I'll kiss away the darkness, "My Henry, from thine eyes; "The angels shalt thou see then, "The glory of the skies." I cannot rise, my darling, The wound is bleeding yet, Made by thee in my bosom With one sharp word and threat. "My hand all gently, Henry, "I'll lay upon thy heart; 'It then will bleed no longer, "And heal'd will be the smart." I cannot rise, my darling, My head still bleeds amain! 'Twas there the bullet enter'd, When thou wert from me ta'en. "With my long tresses, Henry, "I'll stanch the bleeding wound, "And drive the blood-stream backwards, "And make thy head thus sound." So gently, sweetly pray'd she, I could not spurn her prayer; I sought to rise and hasten To join my mistress fair. Then all my wounds 'gan bleeding, Then, wildly rushing, broke From head and breast the bloodstream, And lo! -- from sleep I woke. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...THE BREATH OF NIGHT by RANDALL JARRELL HOODED NIGHT by ROBINSON JEFFERS NIGHT WITHOUT SLEEP by ROBINSON JEFFERS WORKING OUTSIDE AT NIGHT by DENIS JOHNSON POEM TO TAKE BACK THE NIGHT by JUNE JORDAN COOL DARK ODE by DONALD JUSTICE POEM TO BE READ AT 3 A.M by DONALD JUSTICE ROUND ABOUT MIDNIGHT by BOB KAUFMAN |
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