Author: William Ernest Henley

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    The blackbird sang, the skies were clear and clean
    We bowled along a road that curved a spine
    Superbly sinuous and serpentine
    Thro' silent symphonies of summer green.
    Sudden the Forth came on us - sad of mien,
    No cloud to colour it, no breeze to line:
    A sheet of dark, dull glass, without a sign
    Of life or death, two spits of sand between.
    Water and sky merged blank in mist together,
    The Fort loomed spectral, and the Guardship's spars
    Traced vague, black shadows on the shimmery glaze:
    We felt the dim, strange years, the grey, strange weather,
    The still, strange land, unvexed of sun or stars,
    Where Lancelot rides clanking thro' the haze.

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Type of Poem: Sonnet

Date Written:

Date Published:

Language: English

Keywords: Public Domain

Source: Public Domain Collection

Publisher:

Rights/Permissions: Public Domain

Comments/Notes: This poem beautifully weaves together elements of nature and introspection, providing a vivid journey through picturesque landscapes while also plunging into the depths of melancholy and the surreal. The first half of the poem vibrates with life and motion, depicting a journey on a winding road under clear skies, marked by the delightful song of a blackbird and the lush, silent symphonies of summer green. The poem's structure, with its consistent rhyming scheme, lends a rhythmic quality that mirrors the journey's initial serenity.

However, the tone shifts dramatically in the poem's second half, as the tranquil journey gives way to a bleak and desolate setting - a silent, lifeless Forth. The use of alliteration in phrases such as "merged blank in mist together" and "still, strange land" enhances this sense of desolation and unease. The poem culminates in a haunting image of Lancelot riding through a haze, a powerful metaphor that suggests a ceaseless quest, tinged with melancholy and loneliness. This unexpected turn into the realm of Arthurian legend adds a layer of timelessness and mystery to the poem, leaving the reader with a lingering sense of wonder and introspection.

The poem, therefore, masterfully balances contrasts - tranquility and desolation, motion and stillness, reality and myth. This delicate balance, along with its vivid imagery, compelling metaphors, and consistent structure, gives the poem its rich depth and emotive power, inviting the reader to embark on their own introspective journey.