Love was True to Me

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



LOVE was true to me,
True and tender;
I who ought to be
Love's defender,
Let the cold winds blow
Till they chilled him;
Let the winds and snow
Shroud him—and I know
That I killed him.

Years he cried to me
To be kinder;
I was blind to see
And grew blinder.
Years with soft hands raised
Fondly reaching,
Wept and prayed and praised,
Still beseeching.

When he died I woke,
God! how lonely,
When the gray dawn broke
On one only.
Now beside Love's grave
I am kneeling;
All he sought and gave
I am feeling.

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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

30 sec read
104

Quick analysis:

Scheme ABABCDCCD ABABEFEF GAGAHFHF
Closest metre Iambic dimeter
Characters 495
Words 100
Stanzas 3
Stanza Lengths 9, 8, 8

John Boyle O'Reilly

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

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