An Evening Song.

Sidney Lanier 1842 (Macon) – 1881 (Lynn)



Look off, dear Love, across the sallow sands,
 And mark yon meeting of the sun and sea,
How long they kiss in sight of all the lands.
        Ah! longer, longer, we.

Now in the sea's red vintage melts the sun,
 As Egypt's pearl dissolved in rosy wine,
And Cleopatra night drinks all.  'Tis done,
        Love, lay thine hand in mine.

Come forth, sweet stars, and comfort heaven's heart;
 Glimmer, ye waves, round else unlighted sands.
O night! divorce our sun and sky apart
        Never our lips, our hands.

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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on April 28, 2023

27 sec read
110

Quick analysis:

Scheme ABAB CDCD EAEA
Closest metre Iambic pentameter
Characters 505
Words 90
Stanzas 3
Stanza Lengths 4, 4, 4

Sidney Lanier

Sidney Lanier was a poet, writer, composer, critic, professor of literature at Johns Hopkins and first flutist with the Peabody Symphony Orchestra in Baltiimore. He wrote the Centennial cantata for the opening ceremony of the 1876 Centennial celebration in Philadelphia. more…

All Sidney Lanier poems | Sidney Lanier Books

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