“O day! he cannot die
When thou so fair art shining!
O Sun, in such a glorious sky,
So tranquilly declining;
He cannot leave thee now,
While fresh west winds are blowing,
And all around his youthful brow
Thy cheerful light is glowing!
Edward, awake, awake –
The golden evening gleams
Warm and bright on Arden’s lake –
Arouse thee from thy dreams!
Beside thee, on my knee,
My dearest friend! I pray
That thou, to cross the eternal sea,
Wouldst yet one hour delay:
I hear its billows roar –
I see them foaming high;
But no glimpse of a further shore
Has blest my straining eye.
Believe not what they urge
Of Eden isles beyond;
Turn back, from that tempestuous surge,
To thy own native land.
It is not death, but pain
That struggles in thy breast –
Nay, rally, Edward, rouse again;
I cannot let thee rest!”
One long look, that sore reproved me
For the woe I could not bear –
One mute look of suffering moved me
To repent my useless prayer:
And, with sudden check, the heaving
Of distraction passed away;
Not a sign of further grieving
Stirred my soul that awful day.
Paled, at length, the sweet sun setting;
Sunk to peace the twilight breeze:
Summer dews fell softly, wetting
Glen, and glade, and silent trees.
Then his eyes began to weary,
Weighed beneath a mortal sleep;
And their orbs grew strangely dreary,
Clouded, even as they would weep.
But they wept not, but they changed not,
Never moved, and never closed;
Troubled still, and still they ranged not –
Wandered not, nor yet reposed!
So I knew that he was dying –
Stooped, and raised his languid head;
Felt no breath, and heard no sighing,
So I knew that he was dead.
(Emily Bronte)
More Poetry from Emily Bronte:
Emily Bronte Poems based on Topics: Death & Dying, Nature, Dreams, Summer, Light, Eternity, Friendship, Suffering, Sleep, Prayers, Belief & Faith- High waving heather 'neath stormy blasts bending (Emily Bronte Poems)
- That Wind I Used to Hear it Swelling (Emily Bronte Poem)
- Wind was Rough which Tore, The (Emily Bronte Poem)
- Prisoner, The - (A Fragment) (Emily Bronte Poem)
- Far, far away is mirth withdrawn (Emily Bronte Poem)
- The Visionary (Emily Bronte Poem)
Readers Who Like This Poem Also Like:
Based on Topics: Light Poems, Death & Dying Poems, Nature Poems, Dreams Poems, Friendship Poems, Sleep Poems, Belief & Faith Poems, Prayers Poems, Summer Poems, Eternity Poems, Sign & Symbol PoemsBased on Keywords: dying, dreary, twilight, stirred, further, awful, wept, awake, native, sunk, sighing