|
|
Classic and Contemporary Poetry
LONGING, by WILLIAM ALEXANDER PERCY Poem Explanation Poet's Biography First Line: At last the sunset and the quietness Last Line: And then, together, home. Subject(s): Dreams; Longing; Love; Peace; Tears; Nightmares | |||
At last the sunset and the quietness; The iron clutch of day loosened at last. Here where the sky is limpid loveliness And depth on depth of peace, I may forget The fretful work-a-day and midgy round of things . . . A smothered pain the long, long day. Nor does forgetting come with dark and nights of dream; But sweet with pain and filmed tenderness This hour of the pity of all things. . . . Grey as slow tears, the dusk blurs out the trees; The colors ebb beneath the western marge; And homing come the birds -- Not singly come they, but, With throated happiness, together. But we no more shall come together home, Nor hear their twittering gusts, Nor watch the deep west come more deep Till we behold the stars, So bright they must but now have wept. Oh, for one hour to-night, One little hour with you -- To touch your hand -- To lean within the halo of your perfume -- To watch, as those sweet many times, Together, love, the young, white moon, Like some strange petal blown into our round of space From out the cool abysms of the night, Where unknown blossoms bloom for unknown eyes To gaze upon in wistfulness. . . . A little while to watch, And then, together, home. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...VARIATIONS: 14 by CONRAD AIKEN VARIATIONS: 18 by CONRAD AIKEN LIVE IT THROUGH by DAVID IGNATOW A DREAM OF GAMES by JOSEPHINE JACOBSEN THE DREAM OF WAKING by RANDALL JARRELL APOLOGY FOR BAD DREAMS by ROBINSON JEFFERS GIVE YOUR WISH LIGHT by ROBINSON JEFFERS OVERTONES by WILLIAM ALEXANDER PERCY |
| |