Epitaph on a Beloved Friend
The poem is a lamentation of the loss of a friend who has died young. It expresses the speaker's grief and sense of abandonment at being left behind. The poem explores themes of mortality, friendship, and the transience of life.
By Lord Byron · First published 1817 · Genre: Elegy, Lyric Poetry, Romantic Poetry · 341 words
First lines
Oh, Friend! for ever loved, for ever dear! What fruitless tears have bathed thy honour'd bier! What sighs re'echo'd to thy parting breath, Whilst thou wast struggling in the pangs of death! Could tears retard the tyrant in his course; Could sighs avert his dart's relentless force; Could youth and virtue claim a short delay, Or beauty charm the spectre from his prey; Thou still hadst lived to bless my aching sight, Thy comrade's honour and thy friend's delight.
If yet thy gentle spirit hover nigh The spot where now thy mouldering ashes lie, Here wilt thou read, recorded on my heart, A grief too deep to trust the sculptor's art.
What this Textopian page supports
Epitaph on a Beloved Friend is listed on Textopian as a poem by Lord Byron, dated 1817 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Poem
- Author: Lord Byron
- Date: 1817 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Elegy, Lyric Poetry, Romantic Poetry
- Length: 341 words
- Structure: 1 section, 5 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Easy (6th Grade)
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- Work identity for Epitaph on a Beloved Friend by Lord Byron
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Similar titles
- Epitaph On Sir William Williams by Thomas Gray
- To A Dead Friend by Langston Hughes
- For Annie by Edgar Allan Poe
- When We Two Parted by Lord Byron
- Lines Written Beneath An Elm In The Churchyard Of Harrow by Lord Byron
- To A Little Lover Lass Dead by Langston Hughes
Genres
- Elegy — The poem is a lament for a deceased friend, expressing deep sorrow and mourning, which are characteristic of an elegy.
- Lyric Poetry — The work is a personal expression of emotion and reflection, typical of lyric poetry.
- Romantic Poetry — The poem reflects themes of intense emotion and personal loss, aligning with the Romantic era's focus on individual experience and emotion.
Tags
Elegy · Poem · Mourning · Friendship · Loss · Grief · Sorrow · Tears · Memory · Longing · Yearning · Regret