The Winter of Life by Robert Burns
The speaker sets the woods' spring renewal agin his ain auld age: May will bring back the flowers, but nae thaw will melt the snaws o age. He laments weary days an sleepless nichts o pain, an asks why his youthfu prime canna come again.
By Robert Burns · Genre: Lyric Poetry, Meditative Poetry · 158 words
First lines
But lately seen in gladsome green, / The woods rejoic'd the day, / Thro' gentle showers, the laughing flowers / In double pride were gay: / But now our joys are fled / On winter blasts awa; / Yet maiden May, in rich array, / Again shall bring them a'.
But my white pow, nae kindly thowe / Shall melt the snaws of Age; / My trunk of eild, but buss or beild, / Sinks in Time's wintry rage. / Oh, Age has weary days, / And nights o' sleepless pain: / Thou golden time, o' Youthfu' prime, / Why comes thou not again!
Genres
- Lyric Poetry — Twa rhymed stanzas gie the speaker's ain lament for auld age an his lost youthfu prime.
- Meditative Poetry — The speaker weighs the flowers' return in May agin an age that nae kindly thaw can reverse.
Tags
auld age · youthfu prime · winter · spring renewal · sleepless nichts
What this Textopian page supports
The Winter of Life is listed on Textopian as a poem by Robert Burns, dated Date unknown.
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- Work type: Poem
- Author: Robert Burns
- Date: Date unknown
- Genres: Lyric Poetry, Meditative Poetry
- Length: 158 words
- Structure: 1 section, 2 paragraphs
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