The Way Of The Wind

Algernon Charles Swinburne 1837 (London) – 1909 (London)



The wind's way in the deep sky's hollow
None may measure, as none can say
How the heart in her shows the swallow
  The wind's way.

Hope nor fear can avail to stay
Waves that whiten on wrecks that wallow,
Times and seasons that wane and slay.

Life and love, till the strong night swallow
Thought and hope and the red last ray,
Swim the waters of years that follow
  The wind's way.

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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on April 03, 2023

23 sec read
407

Quick analysis:

Scheme abaB bab abaB
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 378
Words 75
Stanzas 3
Stanza Lengths 4, 3, 4

Algernon Charles Swinburne

Algernon Charles Swinburne was an English poet, playwright, novelist, and critic. He wrote several novels and collections of poetry such as Poems and Ballads, and contributed to the famous Eleventh Edition of the Encyclopædia Britannica. Swinburne wrote about many taboo topics, such as lesbianism, cannibalism, sado-masochism, and anti-theism. His poems have many common motifs, such as the ocean, time, and death. Several historical people are featured in his poems, such as Sappho ("Sapphics"), Anactoria ("Anactoria"), Jesus ("Hymn to Proserpine": Galilaee, La. "Galilean") and Catullus ("To Catullus"). more…

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