Author: William Ernest Henley

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    You played and sang a snatch of song,
    A song that all-too well we knew;
    But whither had flown the ancient wrong;
    And was it really I and you?
    O, since the end of life's to live
    And pay in pence the common debt,
    What should it cost us to forgive
    Whose daily task is to forget?

    You babbled in the well-known voice -
    Not new, not new the words you said.
    You touched me off that famous poise,
    That old effect, of neck and head.
    Dear, was it really you and I?
    In truth the riddle's ill to read,
    So many are the deaths we die
    Before we can be dead indeed.

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Type of Poem: Lyric Poem

Date Written:

Date Published:

Language: English

Keywords: Public Domain

Source: Public Domain Collection

Publisher:

Rights/Permissions: Public Domain

Comments/Notes: This poem presents a contemplative exploration of memory, forgiveness, and mortality through the lens of a personal relationship. The underlying theme seems to be the transience of life and the bittersweet nature of human connections. The recurring question, "was it really you and I?" suggests a disconnection from the past, an uncertainty about the authenticity of past selves and their experiences.

The tone of the poem is introspective and somewhat melancholic, as it dwells on the inevitability of change and the challenge of reconciling past and present identity. Structurally, the poem is comprised of two stanzas of equal length, which provide a rhythmic flow and a sense of balance, mirroring the balance between remembering and forgetting that the poem explores.

The poem also employs several notable literary devices. The use of rhetorical questions serves to engage the reader and provoke thought about the themes being discussed. Metaphor is used effectively to convey abstract concepts; the idea of paying "in pence the common debt" is a powerful metaphor for life's experiences as a form of currency, while the phrase "so many are the deaths we die before we can be dead indeed" suggests the metaphorical 'deaths' of past selves as we constantly evolve and change. The "famous poise, that old effect, of neck and head" provides a snapshot of physical intimacy that carries a poignant weight in the context of the poem's ruminations on temporal distance. Overall, this poem presents a deeply thoughtful examination of time, identity, and the human capacity for change.