Did you ask dulcet rhymes from me? Did you seek the civilian's peaceful and languishing rhymes? Did you find what I sang erewhile so hard to follow? Why I was not singing erewhile for you to follow, to understand--nor am I now; (I have been born of the same as the war was born, The drum-corps' rattle is ever to me sweet music, I love well the martial dirge, With slow wail and convulsive throb leading the officer's funeral;) What to such as you anyhow such a poet as I? therefore leave my works, And go lull yourself with what you can understand, and with pianotunes, For I lull nobody, and you will never understand me. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...AMY WENTWORTH; FOR WILLIAM BRADFORD by JOHN GREENLEAF WHITTIER THE SPROUTING BOARD by AL-ISRA'ILI THE FAIRY THRALL by MAY (MARY) CLARISSA GILLINGTON BYRON A BOOK OF AIRS: SONG 4 by THOMAS CAMPION MASQUE AT THE MARRIAGE OF THE LORD HAYES: SONG by THOMAS CAMPION TOWARDS DEMOCRACY: PART 4. THE OPEN SECRET by EDWARD CARPENTER |