Author: Algernon Charles Swinburne

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    The strong spring sun rejoicingly may rise,
    Rise and make revel, as of old men said,
    Like dancing hearts of lovers newly wed:
    A light more bright than ever bathed the skies
    Departs for all time out of all mens eyes.
    The crowns that girt last night a living head
    Shine only now, though deathless, on the dead:
    Art that mocks death, and Song that never dies.
    Albeit the bright sweet mothlike wings be furled,
    Hope sees, past all division and defection,
    And higher than swims the mist of human breath,
    The soul most radiant once in all the world
    Requickened to regenerate resurrection
    Out of the likeness of the shadow of death.

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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 elegantly explores themes of transformation, hope, and the enduring power of art and song. The poet begins with a celebration of the rising spring sun, a potent symbol for renewal and rebirth, likening it to the joy of "lovers newly wed." However, the tone soon shifts as the poet introduces the idea of a "light more bright" departing from sight, suggesting a loss or departure of something or someone precious.

The second half of the poem delves deeper into this concept, with the imagery of "crowns" on a "living head" now shining "on the dead," hinting at the passing of a person of great significance. The poet, however, doesn't surrender to despair. Instead, they find solace in art and song, timeless entities that defy death and continue to inspire.

The concluding lines offer a hopeful vision, with the soul once "most radiant" in the world reborn from the "shadow of death." The poet uses the metaphor of a moth, whose wings are temporarily "furled," to exemplify this transformative process. The structure of the poem, with its alternating rhyming scheme, adds a rhythmic quality that underscores its themes and enhances its emotional resonance. The poet's masterful use of imagery, metaphor, and symbolism results in a poignant meditation on life, death, and the enduring power of art.