Farewell

Read 'Farewell' by 'Adela Florence Cory Nicolson' and provide your summary and literary analysis in the comments section below.

Farewell by Adela Florence Cory Nicolson

   Farewell, Aziz, it was not mine to fold you
     Against my heart for any length of days.
   I had no loveliness, alas, to hold you,
     No siren voice, no charm that lovers praise.

   Yet, in the midst of grief and desolation,
     Solace I my despairing soul with this:
   Once, for my life's eternal consolation,
     You lent my lips your loveliness to kiss.

   Ah, that one night!  I think Love's very essence
     Distilled itself from out my joy and pain,
   Like tropical trees, whose fervid inflorescence
     Glows, gleams, and dies, never to bloom again.

   Often I marvel how I met the morning
     With living eyes after that night with you,
   Ah, how I cursed the wan, white light for dawning,
     And mourned the paling stars, as each withdrew!

   Yet I, even I, who am less than dust before you,
     Less than the lowest lintel of your door,
   Was given one breathless midnight, to adore you.
     Fate, having granted this, can give no more!

Comments

Comments About This Poem

Share your interpretation, favorite passage, or thoughts about this famous poem. Please provide an in-depth and meaningful comment.

  • What do you think the poet was trying to say?
  • Which line had the biggest impact on you?
  • How does this poem relate to modern life?
  • What literary devices did you notice?
No comments have been posted yet. Be the first to share your thoughts.
Get a Premium Membership
Turn off ads, get more exposure for your poetry, and get more features with a Premium Membership.
Book: Diverse Voices: The Poetry of Human Rights and the Pursuit of Peace