Melancholia
Robert Seymour Bridges 1844 (Walmer, Kent) – 1930 (Boars Hill, Berkshire)
The sickness of desire, that in dark days
Looks on the imagination of despair,
Forgetteth man, and stinteth God his praise;
Nor but in sleep findeth a cure for care.
Incertainty that once gave scope to dream
Of laughing enterprise and glory untold,
Is now a blackness that no stars redeem,
A wall of terror in a night of cold.
Fool! thou that hast impossibly desired
And now impatiently despairest, see
How nought is changed: Joy's wisdom is attired
Splendid for others' eyes if not for thee:
Not love or beauty or youth from earth is fled:
If they delite thee not, 'tis thou art dead.
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on March 05, 2023
- 32 sec read
- 117 Views
Quick analysis:
Scheme | ABABCDCDEFGFHH |
---|---|
Closest metre | Iambic pentameter |
Characters | 593 |
Words | 108 |
Stanzas | 1 |
Stanza Lengths | 14 |
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"Melancholia" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2023. Web. 29 May 2023. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/31805/melancholia>.
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