Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"A Farewell" by Sidney Godolphin was published in 1649. Sidney Godolphin (1610-1643) was an English poet and courtier who served as a Member of Parliament for Helston and was a close friend of the poet John Donne. He is best known for his elegies, which were published posthumously in 1648.

"A Farewell" is a melancholic poem, reflecting on the inevitability of death and the sorrow of leaving behind those we love. The speaker bids farewell to a dear friend, acknowledging the fleeting nature of life and the uncertainty of what lies beyond.

The poem begins with the speaker bidding farewell to his friend, lamenting that their time together was too short and the parting too sudden. The speaker acknowledges that death is an inescapable reality, but still wishes that they had more time together.

As the poem progresses, the speaker reflects on the transience of life, noting that even the most beautiful and beloved things in the world are subject to decay and eventual death. Despite this, the speaker still finds comfort in the memory of his friend and the time they spent together.

In the final stanza, the speaker accepts the inevitability of death, and hopes that his friend's soul has found peace in the afterlife. The poem ends with a poignant image of the speaker's home, which now seems empty without his friend's presence.

It is a short poem consisting of four stanzas, each with four lines. The rhyme scheme is AABB.

Overall, "A Farewell" is a moving meditation on the fragility of life and the pain of separation. The poem's use of vivid imagery and powerful emotions make it a memorable work of early modern English poetry.

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