A Tear Song
A TEAR SONG by WILFRED OWEN
Out of the endless nave
Chorus tremendous,
While the gruff organ gave
Sponses stupendous.
But of a surety
Not one among them
Said the psalms heartfully
Of all that sung them,
Saving one chorister,
Sweet as gay bugles when
Robin the Forester
Rallied his merry men.
Opened his little teeth
Like the round daisy's.
Smiled they for things beneath,
Or Zion's praises?
He sang of friendly bees
Not of the hills that skip,
It was that morning's breeze
Piped on his lip.
But his eyes jewelled were
Of his own singing,
God saw the sparkle there
On his lids clinging.
God the boy's jewel took
Into His casket,
Flinging the anthem book
On His waste-basket.
God for his glittering world
Seeketh our tears.
Prayers show as eyelids pearled.
God hath no ears.
| Title |
A Tear Song
|
|---|---|
| Author |
Owen, Wilfred (1893-1918)
|
| Item date |
1983
|
| Content | |
| Copyright |
The Estate of Wilfred Owen. The Complete Poems and Fragments of Wilfred Owen edited by Jon Stallworthy first published by Chatto & Windus, 1983. Preliminaries, introductory, editorial matter, manuscripts and fragments omitted.
|
| Digital repository | |
| Repository name |
ProQuest
|
| Repository address URL | |
| First line |
Out of the endless nave
|
| Publication source |
The Complete Poems and Fragments of Wilfred Owen
|
| Publication editor |
Stallworthy, Jon
|
| Publishers |
Chatto & Windus
|
| Publication place |
London
|
Collection
Citation
“A Tear Song,” by Owen, Wilfred (1893-1918). The Estate of Wilfred Owen. The Complete Poems and Fragments of Wilfred Owen edited by Jon Stallworthy first published by Chatto & Windus, 1983. Preliminaries, introductory, editorial matter, manuscripts and fragments omitted. via First World War Poetry Digital Archive, accessed April 29, 2024, http://ww1lit.nsms.ox.ac.uk/ww1lit/collections/item/3298.
Permitted Use
This item is available for non-commercial educational use under the terms of the Jisc Model Licence. Further details available at: http://ww1lit.nsms.ox.ac.uk/ww1lit/permitteduse
