Poem by Anna Seward

Sonnet 24. Behold the Day an image of the Year!

     TRANSLATION.

Behold the Day an image of the Year!
    The Year an image of our life's short span!
    Morn, like the Spring, with growing light began,
    Spring, like our Youth, with joy, and beauty fair;
Noon picturing Summer;—Summer's ardent sphere
    Manhood's gay portrait.—Eve, like Autumn, wan,
    Autumn resembling faded age in Man;
    Night, with its silence, and its darkness drear,
Emblem of Winter's frore and gloomy reign,
    When torpid lie the vegetative Powers;
    Winter, so shrunk, so cold, reminds us plain
Of the mute Grave, that o'er the dim Corse lours;
    There shall the Weary rest, nor ought remain
    To the pale Slumberer of Life's checker'd hours.

1. Sonnet 53. The knell of Whitehead tolls!—his cares are past
2. Sonnet 87. Round Cleon's brow the Delphic laurels twine
3. Sonnet 45. From Possibility's dim chaos sprung
4. Sonnet 7. By Derwent's rapid stream as oft I stray'd
5. Sonnet 68. Well it becomes thee, Britain, to avow

Print

1155 Views

Last Poems

To Russian version