LONG ago I stood by the sea, And sent my ships away from me: Some with pennons and streamers dight, Gayly fluttering in the light; Some with freight of price untold, Paid for out of my spirit's gold. Over the rounding waves afar, They sailed by sun and sailed by star,— Over the billows, feather-tipped, Till out of my sight the last one dipped. Then I waited and watched and prayed, The while my absent ships delayed. One by one, from ports afar, They sailed by sun and sailed by star; Till over the billows, capped with foam, One by one my ships came home: Some with the brilliant colors lost, Some by adverse currents crossed; Some with freight of wealth untold, Worth its weight, from a mine of gold. But ah! the ship loved best of all Never came home to my heart at all. And often now, as I sit by the sea, Whereon so many bright hopes be, I wonder and wonder what befell The fated ship that I loved so well. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...THE GRAVE OF A POETESS by FELICIA DOROTHEA HEMANS TALES OF A WAYSIDE INN: THE FIRST DAY: THE BIRDS OF KILLINGWORTH by HENRY WADSWORTH LONGFELLOW SEVEN SAD SONNETS: 6. THE WANDERING ONE MAKES MUSIC by MARY REYNOLDS ALDIS AN INVENTORY OF THE FURNITURE IN DR. PRIESTLEY'S STUDY by ANNA LETITIA BARBAULD THE SEVEN OLD MEN; TO VICTOR HUGO by CHARLES BAUDELAIRE BALLADE OF MID-WINTER NIGHTS by CHARLOTTE LOUISE BERTLESEN PARADISE by CHARLES GRANGER BLANDEN |