Author: William Ernest Henley

---

    In the waste hour
    Between to-day and yesterday
    We watched, while on my arm -
    Living flesh of her flesh, bone of her bone -
    Dabbled in sweat the sacred head
    Lay uncomplaining, still, contemptuous, strange:
    Till the dear face turned dead,
    And to a sound of lamentation
    The good, heroic soul with all its wealth -
    Its sixty years of love and sacrifice,
    Suffering and passionate faith - was reabsorbed
    In the inexorable Peace,
    And life was changed to us for evermore.

    Was nothing left of her but tears
    Like blood-drops from the heart?
    Nought save remorse
    For duty unfulfilled, justice undone,
    And charity ignored?    Nothing but love,
    Forgiveness, reconcilement, where in truth,
    But for this passing
    Into the unimaginable abyss
    These things had never been?

    Nay, there were we,
    Her five strong sons!
    To her Death came - the great Deliverer came! -
    As equal comes to equal, throne to throne.
    She was a mother of men.

    The stars shine as of old.    The unchanging River,
    Bent on his errand of immortal law,
    Works his appointed way
    To the immemorial sea.
    And the brave truth comes overwhelmingly home:-
    That she in us yet works and shines,
    Lives and fulfils herself,
    Unending as the river and the stars.

    Dearest, live on
    In such an immortality
    As we thy sons,
    Born of thy body and nursed
    At those wild, faithful breasts,
    Can give - of generous thoughts,
    And honourable words, and deeds
    That make men half in love with fate!
    Live on, O brave and true,
    In us thy children, in ours whose life is thine -
    Our best and theirs!    What is that best but thee -
    Thee, and thy gift to us, to pass
    Like light along the infinite of space
    To the immitigable end?

    Between the river and the stars,
    O royal and radiant soul,
    Thou dost return, thine influences return
    Upon thy children as in life, and death
    Turns stingless!    What is Death
    But Life in act?    How should the Unteeming Grave
    Be victor over thee,
    Mother, a mother of men?

---

Type of Poem: Elegy

Date Written:

Date Published:

Language: English

Keywords: Public Domain

Source: Public Domain Collection

Publisher:

Rights/Permissions: Public Domain

Comments/Notes: This reflective and poignant poem primarily explores themes of death, motherhood, legacy, and the cyclical nature of life. It begins with the speaker observing the passing of a beloved figure, likely a mother, whose influence is etched deeply into her children. The death scene is described with a respectful, almost reverential tone, suggesting a profound acceptance of the natural cycle of life and death.

The poem’s structure and use of enjambment give it a flowing rhythm that mirrors the continuous cycle of life, mirroring the river and its "immemorial sea." This cyclicality is further emphasized by the recurring theme of the mother's influence living on in her sons and their actions. The metaphor of the mother’s legacy being "Like light along the infinite of space" suggests enduring influence and a form of immortality through her children.

Moreover, the poem employs poignant imagery and metaphors, such as "tears / Like blood-drops from the heart," that speak to the deep sorrow and loss experienced, but also the intense love and respect for the departed. The refrain "She was a mother of men" and the final line "Mother, a mother of men" encapsulates the strength, influence, and impact of the mother figure, while also reinforcing the theme of her enduring legacy. The poem overall offers a philosophical reflection on the cycle of life and the enduring influence of an individual, even beyond death.