Song
O, shed no more the burning tear
That tracks the cheek for heavy loss;
The joyous birds sing HOPE and CHEER,—
They whisper in the swinging moss.
The waves that lap the silver beach,
Will lull the heaving heart of woe,
And every odorous bud will teach
Its dewy joy in thee to low.
No ill can lurk beneath the smile
Of these sunlit, and happy trees;
And holy Hope hath made this isle
A fane of blessed prophecies.
The pang that trills the heart to-day,
May not with morrow’s sun be felt,
The fear that wears the soul away,
Like mist before its fire may melt.
Forbear the grief, and trembling fears;
Serenely take the life serene,
That o’er the quiet isle appears,
To hallow this delightful scene.
O, living love will drown the pain,
That burns for loss of pleasures dead;
And nurse the bloom of life again,
By sorrow’s blight untimely shed.
- Title
- Song
- Alternative Title
- O, shed no more the burning tear
- Creator
-
George Shepard Burleigh
- Bibliographic Citation
- Charter Oak, New Series, 2:29:4 (July 22, 1847).
- George S. Burleigh Papers, 1825-1902. John Hay Library, Brown University. Large Scrapbook 25
- Date
- 1847
- Subject
- Nature
- Serenity
- note
- This poem comes near the end of Chapter 5 of George Burleigh's short story "Effie Lee," which was serialized in The Charter Oak in 1847. Given that Burleigh corrected an error in the type-setting of the poem in the Large Scrapbook, it is evident that he continued to care about this poem. The full context will be clear once readers can access the story, a coming feature of this website.