River of Life, The Analysis

The more we live, more brief appear
Our life's succeeding stages;
A day to childhood seems a year,
And years like passing ages.

The gladsome current of our youth,
Ere passion yet disorders,
Steals lingering like a river smooth
Along its grassy borders.

But as the careworn cheek grows wan,
And sorrow's shafts fly thicker,
Ye stars, that measure life to man,
Why seem your courses quicker?

When joys have lost their bloom and breath,
And life itself is vapid,
Why, as we reach the Falls of Death
Feel we its tide more rapid?

It may be strange—yet who would change
Time's course to slower speeding,
When one by one our friends have gone,
And left our bosoms bleeding?

Heaven gives our years of fading strength
Indemnifying fleetness;
And those of youth, a seeming length,
Proportion'd to their sweetness.

.: :.

This poem, introduced to me many years ago, and compelling ever since, is wonderfully constructed and employs classical ascendant structure (youth to middle age to old) as with Sea Fever (Morning, Day, Evening) and Eldorado (the various definition of "shade" proceeding from innocence to doom)

Visualization is strong from delicate, gentle stream to rapids and wonderfully meshes with the poet's analogy of the stages of life. Use of the word "vapid" is simply gravy.

The final stanza is structured and composed exquisitely with the second line employing only two words to achieve the 7 syllables...with 5 of them alloted to the wonderful word "indemnifying".

"Proportioned to their Sweetness" as the final line is simply...well...Perfect.

This poem achieves the mathematical equivalent of "closed form". It is not possible to improve upon it. Each word of each line (see 'Invictus' for another example) is absolutely as it should be in harmony, balance, choice and delivery. It cannot be otherwise than what it is. I believe it is constructed at the level of perfection...and the beauty of it is to have it memorized and play it back...anytime...anywhere...in any cadence...with wondrous lingering over the final stanza...and then you can do it again!

I would have liked to meet Thomas Campbell.

Shane
10-6-05

| Posted on 2005-10-07 | by Approved Guest