Author: Algernon Charles Swinburne

Alas my brother! the cry of the mourners of old That cried on each other, All crying aloud on the […]

Birth and death, twin-sister and twin-brother, Night and day, on all things that draw breath, Reign, while time keeps friends […]

Blest in death and life beyond man’s guessing Little children live and die, possest Still of grace that keeps them […]

STATELY, kindly, lordly friend, Condescend Here to sit by me, and turn Glorious eyes that smile and burn, Golden eyes, […]

Unreconciled by life’s fleet years, that fled With changeful clang of pinions wide and wild, Though two great spirits had […]

Beneath the shadow of dawn’s aërial cope, With eyes enkindled as the sun’s own sphere, Hope from the front of […]

In the grey beginning of years, in the twilight of things that began, The word of the earth in the […]

At the chill high tide of the night, At the turn of the fluctuant hours, When the waters of time […]

from Atalanta in Calydon When the hounds of spring are on winter’s traces, The mother of months in meadow or […]

From the depths of the green garden-closes Where the summer in darkness dozes Till autumn pluck from his hand An […]

PART I It is an hour before the hour of dawn. Set in mine hand my staff and leave me […]

Maiden most beautiful, mother most bountiful, lady of lands, Queen and republican, crowned of the centuries whose years are thy […]

Between the wave-ridge and the strand I let you forth in sight of land, Songs that with storm-crossed wings and […]

Love, out of the depth of things, As a dewfall felt from above, From the heaven whence only springs Love, […]

One of twain, twin-born with flowers that waken, Now hath passed from sense of sun and rain: Wind from off […]

STR. 1 I laid my laurel-leaf At the white feet of grief, Seeing how with covered face and plumeless wings, […]

Inside this northern summer’s fold The fields are full of naked gold, Broadcast from heaven on lands it loves; The […]

But now life’s face beholden Seemed bright as heaven’s bare brow With hope of gifts withholden But now. From time’s […]

I. Years upon years, as a course of clouds that thicken Thronging the ways of the wind that shifts and […]

Back to the flower-town, side by side, The bright months bring, New-born, the bridegroom and the bride, Freedom and spring. […]

Put in the sickles and reap; For the morning of harvest is red, And the long large ranks of the […]

Strong as death, and cruel as the grave, Clothed with cloud and tempest’s blackening breath, Known of death’s dread self, […]

Ask nothing more of me, sweet; All I can give you I give. Heart of my heart, were it more, […]

Songs light as these may sound, though deep and strong The heart spake through them, scarce should hope to please […]

I. Goodnight and goodbye to the life whose signs denote us As mourners clothed with regret for the life gone […]

Sleep, when a soul that her own clouds cover Wails that sorrow should always keep Watch, nor see in the […]

SOFT, small, and sweet as sunniest flowers That bask in heavenly heat When bud by bud breaks, breathes, and cowers, […]

Far-fetched and dear-bought, as the proverb rehearses, Is good, or was held so, for ladies: but nought In a song […]

I. VENTIMIGLIA The sky and sea glared hard and bright and blank: Down the one steep street, with slow steps […]

Greene, garlanded with February’s few flowers Ere March came in with Marlowe’s rapturous rage; Peele, from whose hand the sweet […]