The Dead Child
Ernest Christopher Dowson 1867 – 1900
Sleep on, dear, now
The last sleep and the best,
And on thy brow,
And on thy quiet breast
Violets I throw.
Thy scanty years
Were mine a little while;
Life had no fears
To trouble thy brief smile
With toil or tears.
Lie still, and be
For evermore a child!
Not grudgingly,
Whom life has not defiled,
I render thee.
Slumber so deep,
No man would rashly wake;
I hardly weep,
Fain only, for thy sake.
To share thy sleep.
Yes, to be dead,
Dead, here with thee to-day,--
When all is said
'Twere good by thee to lay
My weary head.
The very best!
Ah, child so tired of play,
I stand confessed:
I want to come thy way,
And share thy rest.
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on March 05, 2023
- 38 sec read
- 48 Views
Quick analysis:
Scheme | ABABX CDCDX EXEBE FGFGF HIHIH BIBIB |
---|---|
Closest metre | Iambic dimeter |
Characters | 607 |
Words | 128 |
Stanzas | 6 |
Stanza Lengths | 5, 5, 5, 5, 5, 5 |
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"The Dead Child" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 20 Apr. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/12813/the-dead-child>.
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