by Thomas Hardy (1840 - 1928)
Before and after summer
Language: English
Looking forward to the spring One puts up with anything. On this February day, Though the winds leap down the street, Wintry scourgings seem but play, And these later shafts of sleet - Sharper pointed than the first - And these later snows - the worst - Are as a half-transparent blind Riddled by rays from sun behind. Shadows of the October pine Reach into this room of mine: On the pine there stands a bird; He is shadowed with the tree. Mutely perched he bills no word; Blank as I am even is he. For those happy suns are past, Fore-discerned in winter last. When went by their pleasure, then? I, alas, perceived not when.
Authorship:
- by Thomas Hardy (1840 - 1928), "Before and After Summer", from New Weekly, April 1914 [author's text not yet checked against a primary source]
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Gerald Finzi (1901 - 1956), "Before and after summer", op. 16 no. 2, published 1949 [baritone and piano], from Before and After Summer, no. 2. [text verified 1 time]
Researcher for this page: Ted Perry
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 20
Word count: 116