Poetry, April 29

[jade_sabre]

Today we have some Tennyson!  Because I like him very much.  I have two poems again, because they're short and kind of simple, but beautiful.  Both are Songs from The Princess, which I don't know much about but will clearly have to learn more about.  The first one is actually one we're singing in my choir:  here's the simple melody line, and if you click on segment 1 and go to about minute 14 you can hear it in four-part harmony, which is awesome because the alto part is awesome (especially on the next-to-last line of each verse).  The second one is one I happened to think was pretty and, as I near the end of another year at school, appropriate.  So, from Alfred, Lord Tennyson:

 


Sweet and Low

Sweet and low, sweet and low,

        Wind of the western sea,

Low, low, breathe and blow,

         Wind of the western sea!

Over the rolling waters go,

         Come from the dying moon, and blow,

Blow him again to me;

         While my little one, while my pretty one, sleeps.

Sleep and rest, sleep and rest,

         Father will come to thee soon;

Rest, rest, on mother's breast,

         Father will come to thee soon;

Father will come to his babe in the nest,

         Silver sails all out of the west

Under the silver moon:

         Sleep, my little one, sleep, my pretty one, sleep.

Tears, Idle Tears

  Tears, idle tears, I know not what they mean,

Tears from the depth of some divine despair

Rise in the heart, and gather to the eyes,

In looking on the happy Autumn-fields,

And thinking of the days that are no more.

  Fresh as the first beam glittering on a sail,

That brings our friends up from the underworld,

Sad as the last which reddens over one

That sinks with all we love below the verge;

So sad, so fresh, the days that are no more.

  Ah, sad and strange as in dark summer dawns

The earliest pipe of half-awakened birds

To dying ears, when unto dying eyes

The casement slowly grows a glimmering square;

So sad, so strange, the days that are no more.

  Dear as remembered kisses after death,

And sweet as those by hopeless fancy feigned

On lips that are for others; deep as love,

Deep as first love, and wild with all regret;

O Death in Life, the days that are no more!

Comments

[idiosyncreant.livejournal.com]

Ooh, those are pretty.

[beautyinsleep.livejournal.com]

Both of these poems are absolutely beautiful. (I didn't find the four-part harmony in the first segment--there's sheep or something around minute 14. Which, of course, made me think of MAAAAAAAAAHHHHH! *flaps arms* XDDD) I so love Tennyson! I'm going to listen to Loreena McKennitt's "The Lady of Shalott" now. <3333

[jade-sabre-301.livejournal.com]

er, yes, it's sheep singing the song. So, it is the four-part harmony. Just, uh, with sheep noises, rather than words. :-b (but yes! MAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!)

Haha, the Lady of Shalott song is exactly what made me remember that I wanted to do Tennyson! :-D

and now I'm listening to Thoroughly Modern Millie. :-D ... :-D :-D :-D

[beautyinsleep.livejournal.com]

Oh. Hahahaha. XD

I'm glad you remembered! :D

[jyms.livejournal.com]

=D Tennyson! my fav is Crossing the Bar because it's so hopeful.

http://quotations.about.com/cs/poemlyrics/a/Crossing_Bar.htm

[jade-sabre-301.livejournal.com]

ooooooooooh, I like that one a lot. :-)