The Ways Of Death Are Soothing And Serene

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



The ways of Death are soothing and serene,
And all the words of Death are grave and sweet.
From camp and church, the fireside and the street,
She beckons forth – and strife and song have been.

A summer night descending cool and green
And dark on daytime’s dust and stress and heat,
The ways of death are soothing and serene,
And all the words of Death are grave and sweet.

O, glad and sorrowful, with triumphant mien
And radiant faces, look upon and greet
This last of all your lovers, and to meet
The kiss, the Comforter’s, your spirit lean ….
The ways of Death are soothing and serene.

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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

33 sec read
55

Quick analysis:

Scheme ABbx abAB abbaA
Closest metre Iambic pentameter
Characters 591
Words 112
Stanzas 3
Stanza Lengths 4, 4, 5

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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