The Lights of London

Louise Imogen Guiney 1861 (Roxbury) – 1920



The evenfall, so slow on hills, hath shot
Far down into the valley's cold extreme,
Untimely midnight; spire and roof and stream
Like fleeing spectres, shudder and are not.
The Hampstead hollies, from their sylvan plot
Yet cloudless, lean to watch as in a dream,
From chaos climb with many a sudden gleam,
London, one moment fallen and forgot.

Her booths begin to flare; and gases bright
Prick door and window; all her streets obscure
Sparkle and swarm with nothing true or sure,
Full as a marsh of mist and winking light;
Heaven thickens over, Heaven that cannot cure
Her tear by day, her fevered smile by night.

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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

33 sec read
82

Quick analysis:

Scheme ABBAABBA CDDCDC
Closest metre Iambic pentameter
Characters 619
Words 110
Stanzas 2
Stanza Lengths 8, 6

Louise Imogen Guiney

Louise Imogen Guiney was an American poet, essayist and editor born in Roxbury, Massachusetts. more…

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