Song Before Death

By Algernon Charles Swinburne

Lyric Poem
    Sweet mother, in a minutes span     Death parts thee and my love of thee;     Sweet love, that yet art living man,     Come back, true love, to comfort me.     Back, ah, come back! ah wellaway!     But my love comes not any day.     As roses, when the warm West blows,     Break to full flower and sweeten spring,     My soul would break to a glorious rose     In such wise at his whispering.     In vain I listen; wellaway!     My love says nothing any day.     You that will weep for pity of love     On the low place where I am lain,     I pray you, having wept enough,     Tell him for whom I bore such pain     That he was yet, ah! wellaway!     My true love to my dying day.

Share & Analyze This Poem

Spread the beauty of poetry or dive deeper into analysis

Analyze This Poem

Discover the literary devices, structure, and deeper meaning

Create Image

Transform this poem into a beautiful shareable image

Copy to Clipboard

Save this poem for personal use or sharing offline

Share the Love of Poetry
More Poems
More Lyric Poems
Daily Poem

Poem Details

Language: English
Keywords: Public Domain
Source: Public Domain Collection
Rights/Permissions: Public Domain
Analysis & Notes:
This moving poem centers around the themes of loss, longing, and unrequited love. It opens with a poignant address to the speaker's deceased mother, setting a tone of sorrow and grief that permeates the entire piece. The repeated plea for a loved one's return, coupled with the refrain "wellaway," underscores the speaker's despair and yearning for comfort and acknowledgement that never comes.

The poem is structured in three stanzas, each highlighting a different aspect of the speaker's emotional journey: the initial loss, the hopeful anticipation, and finally, the painful acceptance of unreciprocated love. The poet masterfully uses natural imagery, particularly the metaphor of a rose blooming, to convey the speaker's vibrant emotional state in contrast to the silence and absence she experiences from her beloved. The final stanza's plea to the reader to tell her beloved of her enduring love, even in death, is a touching testament to the depth of her feelings. This piece is a poignant exploration of human emotion, masterfully employing literary devices to create a deeply resonant narrative of love and loss.

Exploring Lyric Poetry

Lyric poetry is a powerful and intimate form of expression, characterized by its focus on the personal emotions and thoughts of the poet. Often musical in nature, lyric poems resonate with readers through their vivid language and rhythmic flow, capturing moments of intense feeling.

Here are some key characteristics that define lyric poetry:

  • Expressive Language: Lyric poems use rich and evocative language to convey deep emotions, often painting a vivid picture of the poet's inner world.
  • Personal Perspective: Typically written in the first person, these poems offer a window into the poet's personal experiences, thoughts, and reflections.
  • Musicality: Lyric poems often feature a rhythmic structure, with meter and rhyme that give them a song-like quality, enhancing the emotional impact.

From ancient odes to contemporary free verse, lyric poetry remains a beloved and enduring form, celebrated for its ability to articulate the nuances of human emotion in a way that resonates deeply with readers.