To Daffodils


Fair Daffodils, we weep to see
You haste away so soon;
As yet the early-rising sun
Has not attain'd his noon.
Stay, stay,
Until the hasting day
Has run
But to the even-song;
And, having pray'd together, we
Will go with you along.

We have short time to stay, as you,
We have as short a spring;
As quick a growth to meet decay,
As you, or anything.
We die
As your hours do, and dry
Away,
Like to the summer's rain;
Or as the pearls of morning's dew,

Ne'er to be found again.


9 comments:

Gareth Williams said...

I love flower poems (Walter the Softy was an early hero). This is a new one on me, and very lovely it is too. 'Gather ye rosebuds' fits nicely along behind.

worm said...

hehee Gaw I'm picturing you as a young Fotherington-Thomas, "a weed and a clot, he skip like a gurl and he say 'hullo clouds, hullo sky'..."

regarding the poem I find its depiction of death very moving. I actually wouldn't mind the idea of having this poem on my gravestone as a timely reminder for anyone who would ever care to stop a while and read my epitaph

Gareth Williams said...

That's who I meant I think. F-T from the Molesworth books. He skip like a gurl, indeed. Can't wait till my eldest gets into them!

To fit all that on you're going to need some sort of tomb or even an obelisk.

worm said...

Its gonna be a black shiny monolith all the way, naturally with the attendant confused looking monkeys

Brit said...

Walter Softy was in the Beano - the nemesis of Dennis the Menace.

worm said...

poor old Walter, resolutely reinforcing homophobia for all those years.

Susan said...

Lovely poem and daffs are pretty (at least when they're growing outside).

As any fule kno Molesworth thinks all girls are soppy, but we love him anyway chiz.

By the way, have you read Salmon Fishing in the Yemen by Paul Torday? Another recommendation if you haven't x

Gadjo Dilo said...

Better than the Wordsworth and also in Palgrave's Golden Treasury (how F-T must I be to know that?).

worm said...

susan- yes I have managed to read the Salmon Fishing in Yemen book, it was a good (and surprisingly downbeat) read!

Gadjo, that is an impressive spot, and thus only very slightly 'F-T'. Just go out and stamp on some butterflies and balance will be restored