The Timber
Henry Vaughan 1621 (Brecknockshire) – 1695
Sure thou didst flourish once! and many springs,
Many bright mornings, much dew, many showers,
Pass'd o'er thy head; many light hearts and wings,
Which now are dead, lodg'd in thy living bowers.
And still a new succession sings and flies;
Fresh groves grow up, and their green branches shoot
Towards the old and still enduring skies,
While the low violet thrives at their root.
But thou beneath the sad and heavy line
Of death, doth waste all senseless, cold, and dark;
Where not so much as dreams of light may shine,
Nor any thought of greenness, leaf, or bark.
And yet—as if some deep hate and dissent,
Bred in thy growth betwixt high winds and thee,
Were still alive—thou dost great storms resent
Before they come, and know'st how near they be.
Else all at rest thou liest, and the fierce breath
Of tempests can no more disturb thy ease;
But this thy strange resentment after death
Means only those who broke—in life—thy peace.
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on March 29, 2023
- 51 sec read
- 119 Views
Quick analysis:
Scheme | ABAB CDCD EFEF GHGH IXIX |
---|---|
Closest metre | Iambic pentameter |
Characters | 945 |
Words | 167 |
Stanzas | 5 |
Stanza Lengths | 4, 4, 4, 4, 4 |
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"The Timber" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 29 Apr. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/18461/the-timber>.
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