Lovely Playthings

Ivor Gurney 1890 ( Gloucester) – 1937 ( London)



Dawn brings lovely playthings to the mind,
But sunset fights and goes down in battle blind.
The banners of dawn spread over in mystery,
But nightfall ends a boast and a pageantry.

After the halt of dawn comes the slow moving of
Time till the sun's hidden rush and the day is admitted.
Sunset dies out in a smother of something like love,
With dew and the elm-hung stars and owl outcries half-witted.

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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 22, 2023

22 sec read
69

Quick analysis:

Scheme AABB CXCX
Closest metre Iambic hexameter
Characters 400
Words 75
Stanzas 2
Stanza Lengths 4, 4

Ivor Gurney

Ivor Bertie Gurney (28 August 1890 – 26 December 1937) was an English poet and composer, particularly of songs. He was born and raised in Gloucester. He suffered from manic depression through much of his life.  more…

All Ivor Gurney poems | Ivor Gurney Books

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