'When a lover clasps his fairest'

by Percy Bysshe Shelley · (no date)
Published 01/07/1880

I

Then be our dread sport the rarest.

Their caresses were like the chaff

In the tempest, and be our laugh

His despair—her epitaph!

II

When a mother clasps her child,

Watch till dusty Death has piled

His cold ashes on the clay;

She has loved it many a day—

She remains,—it fades away.

#death #existential dread #grief #love #maternal love #percy bysshe shelley

2 likes

Related poems →

More by Percy Bysshe Shelley

Read "'When a lover clasps his fairest'" by Percy Bysshe Shelley. One of the best and most popular poems on The Poet's Place. Discover more trending, inspiring, and beautiful poetry by Percy Bysshe Shelley.