ONCE dear companion of my early youth, The heart of feeling and the soul of truth In thee were joined, and still thy youthful mind Was given to learning, and could quickly find Apt illustrations of scholastic terms. But labour's foot trod rudely on the germs Of genius, and made thee, through life's turmoil, Beg of a lordly brother leave to toil; And toil was thine, and thine was love and song, And down the vale of life they danced along Beside thy path, and cheered thee on thy way. Thy toil is o'er, and they are mute for aye. Oh, not for aye! we hope thou now dost raise, In high adoring strains, thy Saviour's praise, And join'st the heavenly choir's ecstatic song That rolls the eternal symphonies along. "Rest, weary one," upon thy marble brow No cloud of care or grief is lingering now; "After life's fitful fever thou sleepest well;" Peace to thy ashes, peace; dear friend, farewell! | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...PINE-TREES AND THE SKY: EVENING by RUPERT BROOKE SINCE THOU ART GONE by HENRY VAUGHAN THE DEEPER FRIENDSHIP by EDMUND CHARLES BLUNDEN NATALIA'S RESURRECTION: 17 by WILFRID SCAWEN BLUNT GOD KNOWETH by MARY GARDNER BRAINARD |