On The Death Of A Young Lady Of Five Years Of Age by Phillis Wheatley

<< prev. poem	Poems by Phillis Wheatley: 21 / 55	next poem >>

<< prev. poem

Top500 Poems : 556 / 500

next poem >>

On The Death Of A Young Lady Of Five Years Of Age

FROM dark abodes to fair etherial light
Th' enraptur'd innocent has wing'd her flight;
On the kind bosom of eternal love
She finds unknown beatitude above.
This known, ye parents, nor her loss deplore,
She feels the iron hand of pain no more;
The dispensations of unerring grace,
Should turn your sorrows into grateful praise;
Let then no tears for her henceforward flow,
No more distress'd in our dark vale below,
Her morning sun, which rose divinely bright,
Was quickly mantled with the gloom of night;
But hear in heav'n's blest bow'rs your Nancy fair,
And learn to imitate her language there.
"Thou, Lord, whom I behold with glory crown'd,
"By what sweet name, and in what tuneful sound
"Wilt thou be prais'd? Seraphic pow'rs are faint
"Infinite love and majesty to paint.
"To thee let all their graceful voices raise,
"And saints and angels join their songs of praise."
Perfect in bliss she from her heav'nly home
Looks down, and smiling beckons you to come;
Why then, fond parents, why these fruitless groans?
Restrain your tears, and cease your plaintive moans.
Freed from a world of sin, and snares, and pain,
Why would you wish your daughter back again?
No--bow resign'd. Let hope your grief control,
And check the rising tumult of the soul.
Calm in the prosperous, and adverse day,
Adore the God who gives and takes away;
Eye him in all, his holy name revere,
Upright your actions, and your hearts sincere,
Till having sail'd through life's tempestuous sea,
And from its rocks, and boist'rous billows free,
Yourselves, safe landed on the blissful shore,
Shall join your happy babe to part no more.

Phillis Wheatley

Read poems about / on: loss, daughter, pain, grief, dark, rose, happy, hope, home, sea, death, sun, light, god, world, night, smile, angel

#556

in Top500

User Rating:

6.8 /10
(8 votes)

E-mail this poem to e friend

• Send this poem as eCard

• Add this poem to MyPoemList

• Print friendly version

Comments about this poem (On The Death Of A Young Lady Of Five Years Of Age by Phillis Wheatley)

more comments >>

Click here to write your comments about this poem (On The Death Of A Young Lady Of Five Years Of Age by Phillis Wheatley)

Richard Lord (9/8/2007 10:05:00 PM)
I find this poem to be a longish and slightly more accomplished version of a Hallmark Cards sympathy card. I'd classify it as a prime example of poetasty; nicely wrought poetasty, but ultimately a bad, bad poem.

And I'd like to point out that I am a deeply committed Christian who believes in anafterlife and a heavenly state where we can be in the presncne of God and all those in the communion of saints who have gone before us. But this piece does nothing to stir me - except stir me to write this comment.

Maybe we need a poem addresed to this theme for out time. (BTW: Dylan Thomas' attempts at dealing with this theme were much better than what Wheatley gives us here.)

Cynthia Yildirim (9/8/2007 7:41:00 PM)
whoops I guess me and Steve did not realize that your died in 1784 lol

Read all 4 comments >>