Author: Algernon Charles Swinburne

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    Christina Rossetti died December 29, 1894


    The stars are strong in the deeps of the lustrous night,
    Cold and splendid as death if his dawn be bright;
    Cold as the cast-off garb that is cold as clay,
    Splendid and strong as a spirit intense as light.
    A soul more sweet than the morning of new-born May
    Has passed with the year that has passed from the world away.
    A song more sweet than the morning's first-born song
    Again will hymn not among us a new year's day.
    Not here, not here shall the carol of joy grown strong
    Ring rapture now, and uplift us, a spell-struck throng,
    From dream to vision of life that the soul may see
    By death's grace only, if death do its trust no wrong.
    Scarce yet the days and the starry nights are three
    Since here among us a spirit abode as we,
    Girt round with life that is fettered in bonds of time,
    And clasped with darkness about as is earth with sea.
    And now, more high than the vision of souls may climb,
    The soul whose song was as music of stars that chime,
    Clothed round with life as of dawn and the mounting sun,
    Sings, and we know not here of the song sublime.
    No word is ours of it now that the songs are done
    Whence here we drank of delight as in freedom won,
    In deep deliverance given from the bonds we bore.
    There is none to sing as she sang upon earth, not one.
    We heard awhile: and for us who shall hear no more
    The sound as of waves of light on a starry shore
    Awhile bade brighten and yearn as a father's face
    The face of death, divine as in days of yore.
    The grey gloom quickened and quivered: the sunless place
    Thrilled, and the silence deeper than time or space
    Seemed now not all everlasting. Hope grew strong,
    And love took comfort, given of the sweet song's grace.
    Love that finds not on earth, where it finds but wrong,
    Love that bears not the bondage of years in throng
    Shone to show for her, higher than the years that mar,
    The life she looked and longed for as love must long.
    Who knows? We know not. Afar, if the dead be far,
    Alive, if the dead be alive as the soul's works are,
    The soul whose breath was among us a heavenward song
    Sings, loves, and shines as it shines for us here a star.

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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 elegiac poem is a profound meditation on mortality, the transience of life and the enduring power of art, specifically the art of poetry. The poem uses celestial and natural imagery, such as stars, the dawn, and the sea, to depict the transcendent journey of the soul after death. The poet contrasts the coldness and splendor of the stars and death with the sweetness of a soul and its song, serving as a metaphor for the speaker's lament over the loss of a beloved poet, Christina Rossetti, while underlining the beauty and resilience of her spirit.

The poem's tone is both melancholic and reverential, effectively capturing the sense of loss, admiration, and the spiritual elevation of the departed poet. The structure of the poem, with its lengthy, winding sentences and consistent end-rhyme, creates a rhythm akin to a hymn or a mourning song, reinforcing its elegiac nature. The poetic device of personification is also employed as death is portrayed as a kind of grace, a transformative power that allows the soul to ascend beyond earthly bonds. The recurring phrase "not one" emphasizes the uniqueness of Rossetti's voice and talent, while the concluding lines express the enduring influence and inspiration her poetry provides, positioning her as a guiding star. Despite the speaker's sorrow, there is also a sense of hope and consolation that stems from the belief in the immortality of art and the soul.