Faith, Love and Death

Dowell O'Reilly 1865 (Sydney) – 1923 (Leura, Blue Mountains)



GREY dawn—and lucent star that slowly paled   
 Beyond the breaking splendour of the years,   
 When boyhood’s heart looked up to heaven, through tears   
Of joy, to see the glory of God unveiled:   
  
High noon—and bridal earth, whose footsteps failed           
 For very love—when passionate hopes and fears   
 Dazzled the flowers, made music in the ears,   
And through the trancéd wood their splendour trailed.   
  
Calm eventide—afar the lonely west   
 Dreams of the wondrous day, and dreaming, lies           
 With folded hands, still lips, and weary eyes   
Searching the shadows of eternal rest:   
  
Childhood, and youth, and age—for each a prize,   
Faith—Love—and Death—I know not which is best.

 

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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 23, 2023

31 sec read
118

Quick analysis:

Scheme ABXA ABBA CDDC DC
Closest metre Iambic pentameter
Characters 725
Words 106
Stanzas 4
Stanza Lengths 4, 4, 4, 2

Dowell O'Reilly

Dowell Philip O'Reilly was an Australian poet, short story writer and politician. more…

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