{"id":16938,"date":"2016-05-23T09:06:36","date_gmt":"2016-05-23T13:06:36","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/peterlevine.ws\/?p=16938"},"modified":"2020-04-09T08:50:15","modified_gmt":"2020-04-09T12:50:15","slug":"walter-de-la-mare-fare-well","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/peterlevine.ws\/?p=16938","title":{"rendered":"Walter de la Mare, Fare Well"},"content":{"rendered":"

Derek Walcott says<\/a> that he always “cherished” the poem\u00a0\u201cFare Well\u201d by Walter de la Mare “because of its melody and its plaintiveness.” I think Walcott\u00a0proceeds to recite it from memory rather than read it, because his spoken rendition\u00a0differs in very minor respects from the printed versions that I have found\u00a0online (“or” instead of “nor”, “dost” instead of “wouldst”). Walcott’s recommendation is enough for me, so I offer de la Mare’s\u00a0text below:<\/p>\n

Fare Well<\/em><\/p>\n

When I lie where shades of darkness
\nShall no more assail mine eyes,
\nNor the rain make lamentation
\nWhen the wind sighs;
\nHow will fare the world whose wonder
\nWas the very proof of me?
\nMemory fades, must the remembered
\nPerishing be?<\/p>\n

Oh, when this my dust surrenders
\nHand, foot, lip, to dust again,
\nMay these loved and loving faces
\nPlease other men!
\nMay the rusting harvest hedgerow
\nStill the Traveller’s Joy entwine,
\nAnd as happy children gather
\nPosies once mine.<\/p>\n

Look thy last on all things lovely,
\nEvery hour. Let no night
\nSeal thy sense in deathly slumber
\nTill to delight
\nThou have paid thy utmost blessing;
\nSince that all things thou wouldst praise
\nBeauty took from those who loved them
\nIn other days.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

It’s quite straightforward, but I’ll add\u00a0a few notes.<\/p>\n