O you ever think of me? you who died
Ere our Youth's first fervour chilled,
With your soft eyes closed and your pulses stilled
Lying alone, aside,
Do you ever think of me, left in the light,
From the endless calm of your dawnless night?
I am faithful always: I do not say
That the lips which thrilled to your lips of old
To lesser kisses are always cold;
Had you wished for this in its narrow sense
Our love perhaps had been less intense;
But as we held faithfulness, you and I,
I am faithful always, as you who lie,
Asleep for ever, beneath the grass,
While the days and nights and the seasons pass,--
Pass away.
I keep your memory near my heart,
My brilliant, beautiful guiding Star,
Till long life over, I too depart
To the infinite night where perhaps you are.
Oh, are you anywhere? Loved so well!
I would rather know you alive in Hell
Than think your beauty is nothing now,
With its deep dark eyes and its tranquil brow
Where the hair fell softly. Can this be true
That nothing, nowhere, exists of you?
Nothing, nowhere, oh, loved so well
I have never forgotten.
Do you still keep
Thoughts of me through your dreamless sleep?
Oh, gone from me! lost in Eternal Night,
Lost Star of light,
Risen splendidly, set so soon,
Through the weariness of life's afternoon
I dream of your memory yet.
My loved and lost, whom I could not save,
My youth went down with you to the grave,
Though other planets and stars may rise,
I dream of your soft and sorrowful eyes
And I cannot forget
The poem i chose to write about is named "Unforgotten"translated by Laurence Hope. Laurence hope is also the author which is known by two other names. She was born on April 9 and died October 4, 1904. She published her first collection of verses in 1901. She died by poisoning herself when she was 39 (http://www.h.ehime-u.ac.jp/~marx/LH/em/bio.htm).
This poem has four stanzas. In the first stanza it has six lines, the next stanza has ten, the fourteen and last stanza has ten as well. The rhyme scheme for the first stanza is ABBABB. The second stanza scheme is ABBAABBABA. The third stanza rhyme scheme is ABBBAABBAAABAA. The fourth stanza doesn’t really have a rhyme scheme only two lines rhyme which are line eight and nine.
In the first stanza the poet is talking about someone who died. The person speaking is describing the way they look. As she does this the speaker also asks them if they ever think of her. In the second stanza she says that she has always been faithful to the person and she claims she will continue to be faithful. The poet continues to talk about their love and how less intense it might have been between them. The third stanza states the death of this person and how they will not be forgotten. In line six, the poet says that they rather know that they are alive in hell. Stanza four the poet claims that they dream of their memories and it will not be lost. They also state that they cannot forget.
This poem does not have many symbols but there are a few that are very obvious. The symbol guiding star in stanza three line two symbolizes a shield (http://www.ask.com/questions-about/Judaism-Symbols). A shield means protection. Hell in stanza three line six symbolizes a place of torment. Tranquil in stanza three line eight means free from disturbance(http://www.audioenglish.net/dictionary/tranquil.htm). Eternal night in stanza four line one when I tried to Google it all I got was vampires. So it must symbolize how it continues, lives on forever.
The tone of this poem is very heartbroken and insecure. I say this because they way the words the poet used were very sad. Also, the poet continues to talk about the person who died and how they will never forget them. It’s insecure because they continue to ask the person who died if they will ever think of them. When I read this poem I get the feelings of sadness.
This poem is speaking about the death of a loved one and how it can affect someone. I say this because the speaker says in stanza four line seven, "my youth went down with you to the grave “meaning that a part of them also went with the dead one. Also it speaks about how even though someone is dead they can always be there with you. Like in line two stanza three the poet states that they will always be there guiding star which symblizes protection. the poet is trying to say that even though they are gone they will always be there to protect them. This poem allows the readers how sad it can be to lose someone that is dear to your heart; I say this because of the tone of the poem.
Work Cited:
Schlueter, Paul. Schlueter, June. "Violet (Adela Florence) Nicolson". Laurence Hope Adpated from An Encyclopedia of british Women Writers. Ed. New York: Garland, 1999. 19 April 2010.
Unknown. "Tranquil". AudioEnglish.net. 19 April 2010.
