A CYPRESS-BOUGH, and a rose-wreath sweet, A wedding-robe, and a winding-sheet, A bridal-bed and a bier. Thine be the kisses, maid, And smiling Love's alarms; And thou, pale youth, be laid In the grave's cold arms. Each in his own charms, Death and Hymen both are here; So up with scythe and torch, And to the old church porch, While all the bells ring clear: And rosy, rosy the bed shall bloom, And earthy, earthy heap up the tomb. Now tremble dimples on your cheek, Sweet be your lips to taste and speak, For he who kisses is near: By her the bridegod fair, In youthful power and force; By him the grizard bare, Pale knight on a pale horse, To woo him to a corpse. Death and Hymen both are here; So up with scythe and torch, And to the old church porch, While all the bells ring clear: And rosy, rosy the bed shall bloom, And earthy, earthy heap up the tomb. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...THE SOUTH COUNTRY by HILAIRE BELLOC EPITAPH: FOR A LADY I KNOW by COUNTEE CULLEN SEVEN TIMES FOUR [ - MATERNITY] by JEAN INGELOW SONNET: THE HUMAN SEASONS by JOHN KEATS THE BIGLOW PAPERS. 2D SERIES. THE COURTIN' by JAMES RUSSELL LOWELL SCHOOL AND SCHOOLFELLOWS; FLOREAT ETONA by WINTHROP MACKWORTH PRAED |