She was alone that evening-and alone She had been all that heavenly summer day She scarce had seen a face, or heard a tone And quietly the hours had slipped away Their passage through the silence hardly known Save when the clock with silver chime did say The number of the hour, and all in peace Listened to hear its own vibration cease Wearied with airy task, with tracing flowers Of snow on lace, with singing hymn or song With trying all her harp's symphonious powers By striking full its quivering strings along And drawing out deep chords & shaking showers Of brilliant sound, from shell & wires among Wearied with reading books, weary with weeping Heart-sick of Life she sought for death in sleeping She lay down on her couch-but could she sleep? Could she forget existence in a dream That blotting out reality might sweep Over her weariness the healing stream Of hope and hope's fruition-Lo the deep And Amber glow of that departing beam Shot from that blood-red sun-points to her brow Straight like a silent index, mark it now Kindling her perfect features, bringing bloom Into the living marble, smooth and bright As sculptured effigy on hallowed tomb Glimmering amid the dimmed and solemn light Native to Gothic pile-so wan, so white In shadow gleamed that face, in rosy flush Of setting sun, rich with a living blush Up rose the lonely lady and her eyes Instinctive raised their fringe, of raven shade And fixed upon those vast and glorious skies Their lustre that in Death alone might fade Skies fired with crimson clouds, burning with dies Intense as blood-they arched above and rayed The firmament with broad & vivid beams That seemed to bend toward her all their gleams It was the eve of battle, leagues away In the direction of that setting sun An army saw that lurid summer day Closing their serried ranks and squared upon Saw it with awe, so deeply was the ray The last ray tinged with blood-so wild it shone So strange the semblance gory, burning given To pool & stream & sea by that red heaven. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...FOR THE FALLEN (SEPTEMBER 1914) by LAURENCE BINYON STANZAS FOR MUSIC (3) by GEORGE GORDON BYRON GASCOIGNE'S GOOD MORROW by GEORGE GASCOIGNE A PRAISE OF HIS LOVE by HENRY HOWARD SONG OF THE CHATTAHOOCHEE by SIDNEY LANIER SCHOOL AND SCHOOLFELLOWS; FLOREAT ETONA by WINTHROP MACKWORTH PRAED THE STRANGER'S ALMS by HENRY ABBEY |