Love Without Hope Poem by Robert Graves

Love Without Hope

Rating: 2.7


Love without hope, as when the young bird-catcher
Swept off his tall hat to the Squire's own daughter,
So let the imprisoned larks escape and fly
Singing about her head, as she rode by.

COMMENTS OF THE POEM

Love without hope, as when the young bird-catcher Swept off his tall hat to the Squire's own daughter, So let the imprisoned larks escape and fly Singing about her head, as she rode by.

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Howard Buchanan 20 January 2017

I saw this poem 35 years ago, written up on the chalkboard of a school in which I was teaching English lit. It has haunted my imagination ever since despite not knowing its authorship until today. With great economy, it establishes a vivid roadside scene which one can dress in the imagination with all the detail, and even character positioning, of an incident in a colour film screenplay. That it can also evoke all the injustice of social-class and manmade barriers to fulfillment as well as the hopelessness of unattainable, unrequited love, is truly remarkable.

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Gail Garrison 09 October 2009

Oh my! What an image!

6 0 Reply
william catt 15 September 2018

I love this poem and always have. Its true because of class division his love is unlikely to be returned. I think his heart must sore with the larks. However reality will soon set in and sorrow.

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Robert Graves

Robert Graves

London / England
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