At The Sign Of The Lyre

Richard Le Gallienne 1866 (Liverpool) – 1947



(To the Memory of Austin Dobson)

Master of the lyric inn
Where the rarer sort so long
Drew the rein, to 'scape the din
Of the cymbal and the gong,
Topers of the classic bin,--
Oporto, sherris and tokay,
Muscatel, and beaujolais--
Conning some old Book of Airs,
Lolling in their Queen Anne chairs--
Catch or glee or madrigal,
Writ for viol or virginal;
Or from France some courtly tune,
Gavotte, ridotto, rigadoon;
(Watteau and the rising moon);
Ballade, rondeau, triolet,
Villanelle or virelay,
Wistful of a statelier day,
Gallant, delicate, desire:
Where the Sign swings of the Lyre,
Garlands droop above the door,
Thou, dear Master, art no more.

Lo! about thy portals throng
Sorrowing shapes that loved thy song:
_Taste_ and _Elegance_ are there,
The modish Muses of Mayfair,
_Wit_, _Distinction_, _Form_ and _Style_,
_Humour_, too, with tear and smile.

Fashion sends her butterflies--
Pretty laces to their eyes,
Ladies from St. James's there
Step out from the sedan chair;
Wigged and scented dandies too
Tristely wear their sprigs of rue;
Country squires are in the crowd,
And little Phyllida sobs aloud.

Then stately shades I seem to see,
Master, to companion thee;
Horace and Fielding here are come
To bid thee to Elysium.
Last comes one all golden: Fame
Calls thee, Master, by thy name,
On thy brow the laurel lays,
Whispers low--'In After Days.'

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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

1:09 min read
116

Quick analysis:

Scheme A BCBCBCDEEFFGAGHFDXXII CCJJFX KKJJHXHH LLMMNNOO
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 1,318
Words 232
Stanzas 5
Stanza Lengths 1, 21, 6, 8, 8

Richard Le Gallienne

Richard Le Gallienne was an English author and poet. The American actress Eva Le Gallienne was his daughter, by his second marriage. more…

All Richard Le Gallienne poems | Richard Le Gallienne Books

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