A Valentine Poem by Lewis Carroll
A Valentine
Sent to a friend who had complained that I was glad enough to see
him when he came, but didn't seem to miss him if he stayed away.
And cannot pleasures, while they last,
Be actual unless, when past,
They leave us shuddering and aghast,
With anguish smarting?
And cannot friends be firm and fast,
And yet bear parting?
And must I then, at Friendship's call,
Calmly resign the little all
(Trifling, I grant, it is and small)
I have of gladness,
And lend my being to the thrall
Of gloom and sadness?
And think you that I should be dumb,
And full DOLORUM OMNIUM,
Excepting when YOU choose to come
And share my dinner?
At other times be sour and glum
And daily thinner?
Must he then only live to weep,
Who'd prove his friendship true and deep
By day a lonely shadow creep,
At night-time languish,
Oft raising in his broken sleep
The moan of anguish?
The lover, if for certain days
His fair one be denied his gaze,
Sinks not in grief and wild amaze,
But, wiser wooer,
He spends the time in writing lays,
And posts them to her.
And if the verse flow free and fast,
Till even the poet is aghast,
A touching Valentine at last
The post shall carry,
When thirteen days are gone and past
Of February.
Farewell, dear friend, and when we meet,
In desert waste or crowded street,
Perhaps before this week shall fleet,
Perhaps to-morrow.
I trust to find YOUR heart the seat
Of wasting sorrow.
And if the verse flow free and fast Till even the poet is aghast A touching Valentine at last. The poem flows smoothly like a river in plains. Thanks for sharing.
THREE: Carroll cleverly compares this to a "touching Valentine" sent after thirteen days of February. Summed up, "A Valentine" explores the complexities of relationships, emphasizing the emotional toll of friendships while hinting at the enduring nature and romantic love
TWO: While friends are depicted as burdensome, the lover is portrayed differently. The lover, when separated from their beloved, doesn't sink into grief but instead writes heartfelt verses and sends them.
ONE: The poet's opinion is not positive, and he seems to idealize romantic relationships instead. The poem subtly contrasts friendship with romantic love.
He died on 14 January 1898 at his sisters' home, 'The Chestnuts' in Guildford, of pneumonia following influenza.
(CONTINUED! ! ! ! ! ! !) ....'desert waste' (a noun) refers to a barren landscape, mostly made up of sand. five stars ***** bri : )
This poem has not been translated into any other language yet.
I would like to translate this poem
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4/21/2025 2:02:34 AM # 1.0.0
A good discussion about friendship- -I agree with him that friendship doesn't need daily nourishment. A well-established friendship has our back and we can share our good times and victories as well as our sorrows and defeat. But friendship needs both the nourishment of laughter as well as tears.