Sad-Eyed and Soft and Grey

William Morris 1834 (Walthamstow) – 1896 (London)



Sad-Eyed and soft and grey thou art, o morn!
Across the long grass of the marshy plain
Thy west wind whispers of the coming rain,
Thy lark forgets that May is grown forlorn
Above the lush blades of the springing corn,
Thy thrush within the high elms strives in vain
To store up tales of spring for summer's pain -
Vain day, why wert thou from the dark night born?

O many-voiced strange morn, why must thou break
With vain desire the softness of my dream
Where she and I alone on earth did seem?
How hadst thou heart from me that land to take
Wherein she wandered softly for my sake
And I and she no harm of love might deem?

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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

37 sec read
170

Quick analysis:

Scheme ABBAABBA CDDCCD
Closest metre Iambic pentameter
Characters 618
Words 124
Stanzas 2
Stanza Lengths 8, 6

William Morris

William Morris, Mayor of Galway, 1527-28. more…

All William Morris poems | William Morris Books

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