Poem by Edna St. Vincent Millay

Lament

Listen, children:
Your father is dead.
From his old coats
I’ll make you little jackets;
I’ll make you little trousers
From his old pants.
There’ll be in his pockets
Things he used to put there,
Keys and pennies
Covered with tobacco;
Dan shall have the pennies
To save in his bank;
Anne shall have the keys
To make a pretty noise with.
Life must go on,
And the dead be forgotten;
Life must go on,
Though good men die;
Anne, eat your breakfast;
Dan, take your medicine;
Life must go on;
I forget just why.

1. Three Songs from the Lamp and the Bell
2. Keen
3. Say What You Will, and Scratch My Heart to Find
4. Four Sonnets
5. My Heart, Being Hungry

Bliss Carman Lament ("When you hear the white-throat pealing")

Print

1651 Views

Last Poems

To Russian version