My Heart and I

Elizabeth Barrett Browning 1806 (Kelloe) – 1861 (Florence)



I.

 ENOUGH ! we're tired, my heart and I.
   We sit beside the headstone thus,
   And wish that name were carved for us.
 The moss reprints more tenderly
   The hard types of the mason's knife,
   As heaven's sweet life renews earth's life
 With which we're tired, my heart and I.

II.
 You see we're tired, my heart and I.
   We dealt with books, we trusted men,
  And in our own blood drenched the pen,
As if such colours could not fly.
  We walked too straight for fortune's end,
  We loved too true to keep a friend ;
At last we're tired, my heart and I.

III.
How tired we feel, my heart and I !
  We seem of no use in the world ;
  Our fancies hang grey and uncurled
About men's eyes indifferently ;
  Our voice which thrilled you so, will let
  You sleep; our tears are only wet :
What do we here, my heart and I ?

IV.
So tired, so tired, my heart and I !
  It was not thus in that old time
  When Ralph sat with me 'neath the lime
To watch the sunset from the sky.
  `Dear love, you're looking tired,' he said;
  I, smiling at him, shook my head :
'Tis now we're tired, my heart and I.

V.
So tired, so tired, my heart and I !
  Though now none takes me on his arm
  To fold me close and kiss me warm
Till each quick breath end in a sigh
  Of happy languor. Now, alone,
  We lean upon this graveyard stone,
Uncheered, unkissed, my heart and I.

VI.
Tired out we are, my heart and I.
  Suppose the world brought diadems
  To tempt us, crusted with loose gems
Of powers and pleasures ? Let it try.
  We scarcely care to look at even
  A pretty child, or God's blue heaven,
We feel so tired, my heart and I.

VII.
Yet who complains ? My heart and I ?
  In this abundant earth no doubt
  Is little room for things worn out :
Disdain them, break them, throw them by
  And if before the days grew rough
  We once were loved, used, -- well enough,
I think, we've fared, my heart and I.

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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on April 27, 2023

1:52 min read
180

Quick analysis:

Scheme abbcdda aaeeaffa aaxfcgga dAhhaiia cAxxajja aabxaxxa dakkalla
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 1,834
Words 361
Stanzas 7
Stanza Lengths 7, 8, 8, 8, 8, 8, 8

Elizabeth Barrett Browning

Elizabeth Barrett Browning was one of the most prominent English poets of the Victorian era. more…

All Elizabeth Barrett Browning poems | Elizabeth Barrett Browning Books

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