NOW the golden tire of Phoebus Turns to trace its shortest arc; Now, no more sings Philomela From the leafy turret dark -- Nightingale and swallow flitting, Voiceless, to the Libyan shore; Now, upon Demeter's daughter Shuts the sunken iron door -- And now, young Linus is no more. He was with us at the pruning Ere the leaf shot forth the vine; He was with us in the Maytime When the buds were red as wine, -- With us, when the summer dewfall Made the meadows silvery hoar, Shared our nooning in the shadow, Shared the toiler's homely store -- But Linus shares with us no more. He is fled, -- the well-beloved With the lighted eyes of dawn, With the tresses of sea-amber And the footstep of the fawn! If the red-eyed pack of Sirius His fair-fashioned body tore, There was found no stain of crimson On the path his footstep wore; Yet Linus -- Linus comes no more. He is strangely parted from us, None received his passing-sigh! Now, the evening-purple clusters Heavy on the trellis lie: When we crush those purple clusters Filled with sweetness to the core -- Lo! it is the life of Linus That the presses shall outpour; But Linus we shall see no more. He is gone with all of beauty, Withered from the season's crown, One by one, slow-faltering downward -- As these vine-leaves falter down! Otherwhere is other mourning -- Ay, the boatman stills his oar, Stays the shepherd, winding foldward, At far cries that, searching sore, Make murmur of no more! no more! This the burden, this the sorrow, Where they winnow out the corn; This the burden breathing lonely Through the hunter's unblown horn! Say to those that mourn Adonis, Trampled by the mountain boar -- Say to those that yet mourn Daphnis, On the misty threshing floor, That Linus -- Linus is no more! Ask if they have hope of Daphnis When the morrow spring is born: Will he rise among the furrows, Midst the tender blades of corn? Ask the foresters if Cypris Their Adonis will restore? Plenteous flowers wake after Winter, -- Not the flower that bloomed before! And Linus -- Linus wakes no more. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...ELEGY IN A COUNTRY CHURCHYARD by GILBERT KEITH CHESTERTON SONGS FOR THE PEOPLE by FRANCES ELLEN WATKINS HARPER EMBLEMS OF LOVE: 4. THE TIMOROUS ADVENTURER by PHILIP AYRES THE TROUBLED SPIRIT by EDMUND CHARLES BLUNDEN RESIGNATION by HARRY RANDOLPH BLYTHE HINC LACHRIMAE; OR THE AUTHOR TO AURORA: 43 by WILLIAM BOSWORTH THE WODDSY ONES by ABBIE FARWELL BROWN SONNETS FROM THE PORTUGUESE: 17 by ELIZABETH BARRETT BROWNING |