Her Refrain

John Boyle O'Reilly 1844 (Dowth) – 1890 (Boston)



Do you love me?' she said, when the skies were blue,
And we walked where the stream through the branches glistened;
And I told and retold her my love was true,
While she listened and smiled, and smiled and listened.

Do you love me?' she whispered, when days were drear,
And her eyes searched mine with a patient yearning;
And I kissed her, renewing the words so dear,
While she listened and smiled, as if slowly learning.

“Do you love me?” she asked, when we sat at rest
By the stream enshadowed with autumn glory;
Her cheek had been laid as in peace on my breast,
But she raised it to ask for the sweet old story.

And I said: 'I will tell her the tale again—
I will swear by the earth and the stars above me!'
And I told her that uttermost time should prove
The fervor and faith of my perfect love;
And I vowed it and pledged it that nought should move;
While she listened and smiled in my face, and then
She whispered once more, ' Do you truly love me? '

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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 16, 2023

56 sec read
118

Quick analysis:

Scheme ABAB CDCD ECEC FGHXHFG
Closest metre Iambic hexameter
Characters 960
Words 193
Stanzas 4
Stanza Lengths 4, 4, 4, 7

John Boyle O'Reilly

John Boyle O'Reilly was an Irish-born poet, journalist and fiction writer. more…

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