World Book Night Party: BE THERE!

Byron: She Walks in Beauty

On this day in 1824, Byron died from a fever in Greece. So what else could we choose to end the day, but this:

 

She Walks in Beauty
Lord Byron (George Gordon)

She walks in beauty, like the night
Of cloudless climes and starry skies;
And all that’s best of dark and bright
Meet in her aspect and her eyes;
Thus mellowed to that tender light
Which heaven to gaudy day denies.

 

One shade the more, one ray the less,
Had half impaired the nameless grace
Which waves in every raven tress,
Or softly lightens o’er her face;
Where thoughts serenely sweet express,
How pure, how dear their dwelling-place.

 

And on that cheek, and o’er that brow,
So soft, so calm, yet eloquent,
The smiles that win, the tints that glow,
But tell of days in goodness spent,
A mind at peace with all below,
A heart whose love is innocent!

 

 

Poem taken from the Poetry Foundation.

Image from The Literateur.

Jacob Polley: Decree

Once again, I’ve been searching the Poetry Archive for a night-themed poem to give you before settling down to bed.

I came up with this:

Decree, by Jacob Polley

‘At five a.m. don’t worry, sleep
and dream the un-negotiated deep
while the moon falls back to her day-blue keep
and her mercenary stars retreat.’

Read the rest of the poem (or, even better, listen to Polley reading it himself) here.

Alright, so I’m well aware that I’m posting this poem at the wrong time of night, but I’m posting it now for three reasons:

1. It’s a beautifully musical poem that does a wonderful job at describing that time where it’s not quite night, and not yet morning.
2. The rest of Jacob Polley’s poetry is also well worth checking out, so for those people who do fancy staying up until five in the morning, that would be a very worthwhile way to spend the hours between now and then. More here.
3. I myself fully intend to be in bed and sleeping by five in the morning. To which end, I bid you good night, and happy poetry reading. Sleep well!

Titanic Poems

To mark the 100th anniversary of the sinking of RMS Titanic, we’ve found a link to some Titanic-related poems for you:

http://www.webtitanic.net/framepoem.html