FEW be the days that feeble man must breath, Yet frequent troubles antedate his death: Gay like a flow'r he comes, which newly grown, Fades of itself, or is untimely mown: Like a thin aery shadow does he fly, Length'ning and short'ning still until he die. And does Jehovah think on such a one, Does he behold him from his mighty Throne? Will he contend with such a worthless thing, Or dust and ashes into Judgement bring? Unclean, unclean is man ev'n from the womb, Unclean he falls into his drowsy tomb. Surely, he cannot answer God, nor be Accounted pure, before such purity. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...EPIGRAM: A LAME BEGGAR by JOHN DONNE THE WASHERS OF THE SHROUD; OCTOBER, 1861 by JAMES RUSSELL LOWELL GETTYSBURG [JULY 1-3, 1863] by JAMES JEFFREY ROCHE NOCTURNE by JOHN VAN ALSTYN WEAVER LAODAMIA by WILLIAM WORDSWORTH |