Classic and Contemporary Poetry
THE CHILD'S LAST SLEEP; SUGGESTED BY MOMUMENT OF CHANTREY'S, by FELICIA DOROTHEA HEMANS Poet Analysis Poet's Biography First Line: Thou sleepst - but when wilt thou wake, fair child? Last Line: Beautiful dust! When we look on thee? Alternate Author Name(s): Browne, Felicia Dorothea Subject(s): Chantrey, Sir Francis Legatt (1781-1841); Death - Children; Sculpture & Sculptors; Women; Death - Babies | ||||||||
THOU sleepest -- but when wilt thou wake, fair child? When the fawn awakes in the forest wild? When the lark's wing mounts with the breeze of morn? When the first rich breath of the rose is born? -- Lovely thou sleepest! yet something lies Too deep and still on thy soft-sealed eyes; Mournful, though sweet, is thy rest to see -- When will the hour of thy rising be? Not when the fawn wakes -- not when the lark On the crimson cloud of the morn floats dark. Grief with vain passionate tears hath wet The hair, sheddding gleams from thy pale brow yet; Love, with sad kisses unfelt, hath pressed Thy meek-dropt eyelids and quiet breast; And the glad Spring, calling out bird and bee, Shall color all blossoms, fair child! but thee. Thou'rt gone from us, bright one! -- that thou shouldst die, And life be left to the butterfly! Thou'rt gone as a dewdrop is swept from the bough: Oh! for the world where thy home is now! How may we love but in doubt and fear, How may we anchor our fond hearts here; How should e'en joy but a trembler be, Beautiful dust! when we look on thee? | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...THE LOST CHILDREN by RANDALL JARRELL THE MOURNER by LOUISE MOREY BOWMAN MELANCHOLY; AN ODE by WILLIAM BROOME SISTERS IN ARMS by AUDRE LORDE A BOTANICAL TROPE by WILLIAM MEREDITH FOR MOHAMMED ZEID OF GAZA, AGE 15 by NAOMI SHIHAB NYE A DIRGE (1) by FELICIA DOROTHEA HEMANS |
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