A Dirge

by Christina Rossetti

A complete poem from Poems (1876 author’s edition). Original wording and verse line breaks are preserved.

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Poetry Classic literature Poems (1876 author’s edition)

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01A Dirge~1 min

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Why were you born when the snow was falling? You should have come to the cuckoo's calling, Or when grapes are green in the cluster, Or, at least, when lithe swallows muster For their far off flying From summer dying. Why did you die when the lambs were cropping? You should have died at the apples' dropping, When the grasshopper comes to trouble, And the wheat-fields are sodden stubble, And all winds go sighing For sweet things dying.

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About this edition

Text source: Project Gutenberg
Author: Christina Rossetti
Language: English
Text rights: Public domain — original text
Credit: Christina Rossetti, “A Dirge”, from Poems (1876 author’s edition). Original public-domain poem; source Project Gutenberg #19188. This historical edition’s wording is retained. Surrounding anthology, editorial material and illustrations omitted; text reformatted for reading. Source metadata identifies public domain in the USA.

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