From The Break The Nightingale

William Ernest Henley 1849 (Gloucester) – 1903 (Woking)



From the brake the Nightingale
Sings exulting to the Rose;
Though he sees her waxing pale
In her passionate repose,
While she triumphs waxing frail,
Fading even while she glows;
Though he knows
How it goes -
Knows of last year's Nightingale
Dead with last year's Rose.

Wise the enamoured Nightingale,
Wise the well-beloved Rose!
Love and life shall still prevail,
Nor the silence at the close
Break the magic of the tale
In the telling, though it shows -
Who but knows
How it goes! -
Life a last year's Nightingale,
Love a last year's Rose.

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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

30 sec read
82

Quick analysis:

Scheme abababbBab abaxabbBab
Closest metre Iambic trimeter
Characters 529
Words 99
Stanzas 2
Stanza Lengths 10, 10

William Ernest Henley

William Ernest Henley was an English poet, critic and editor, best remembered for his 1875 poem "Invictus". more…

All William Ernest Henley poems | William Ernest Henley Books

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