Aurora Borealis

Herman Melville 1819 – 1891



_Commemorative of the Dissolution of armies at the Peace_
May, 1865

What power disbands the Northern Lights
After their steely play?
The lonely watcher feels an awe
Of Nature's sway,
As when appearing,
He marked their flashed uprearing
In the cold gloom--
Retreatings and advancings,
(Like dallyings of doom),
Transitions and enhancings,
And bloody ray.

The phantom-host has faded quite,
Splendor and Terror gone
Portent or promise--and gives way
To pale, meek Dawn;
The coming, going,
Alike in wonder showing--
Alike the God,
Decreeing and commanding
The million blades that glowed,
The muster and disbanding--
Midnight and Morn.

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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 14, 2023

30 sec read
83

Quick analysis:

Scheme AB ABXBCCDADAB XEBECCXCXCX
Closest metre Iambic trimeter
Characters 615
Words 100
Stanzas 3
Stanza Lengths 2, 11, 11

Herman Melville

Herman Melville was an American writer best known for the novel Moby-Dick. more…

All Herman Melville poems | Herman Melville Books

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